Devil of the Sea
by Headless Gummy Bear
Summary: A charter ship crossing the Atlantic in 1729 is under siege. The women who're kidnapped realize that crossing the ocean was their biggest mistake - or maybe the best decision they've ever made. A Selection at sea: fighting for love, power, and maybe their lives. (SYOC: Closed)
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

The smell of salt in the air mixed harshly with that of rum and wine. Sailors knew to save their rations of food and hide the hunger with spirits. Candles dotted the crew's cabin, hammocks swaying with the waves. In a corner, five men circled around a crate and played cards as another sailor joined them. This one was fresh, his face unmarred by the sun and a gleam still in their eyes of the promise of riches. He passed for 16, but in reality was much younger and naive to the hard work and misery that was going to await him for the next 3 months. He sat on a similar pare crate the men all used for chairs and observed the game.

"How do you play?"

"With money," the largest man in the group sneered at the boy.

Another man lightly cackled and picked up his bottle, "If you don't ever teach the young'uns, how else you going to win?" He passed the bottle in his hands to the boy, who took an apprehensive taste. He tried his best to keep his disgust at bay, but a shiver still crept up his neck at the rancid taste. "How old are ya, anyway? I've seen rats on board bigger than you."

"Old enough," the boy said with spirit, sticking his jaw out and sitting up. This warranted another whooping cackle from the sailor.

The boy stood in offense, but the sailor calmed himself and motioned for him to sit again. "Son, I would gladly show you how to play, but without money you bet with labor."

"Sure," he agreed, leaning forward with interest.

"The game's called Devil of the Sea. Based off the old story, you know the one-"

"No, actually," the boy interrupted him.

The sailor stopped short, "How in the hell did you end up here? Where'd you come from where they ain't tellin' stories?" The man settled in, "I'll have to explain that first."

The other sailors groaned and one threw his cards down. "Shut it!" the sailor snapped at them all, "You ain't never heard it like I tell it!"

"It's a bedtime story for children. You're really going to stop the game for this?" One of the sailors took a hefty swig of liquor.

"You want out of morning duty tomorrow? Then shut your face and listen up." He turned his attention back to the boy, "So it starts with a boy, right around your age. He's been born at sea and stayed at sea his whole life. Not once did he touch land. Not even once. He grew into the best sailor y'ever seen cuz of this, controlling an entire starboard side on his own without breaking a sweat. His captain realized this, and awarded him the pay of however many men he could replace. Suddenly, he was putting people out of work, men with wives and children to provide for, and made plenty of enemies. Those men had to resort to less honest means to send money home, if you get what I'm saying. Holding whole ships captive and taking as much as they could and divvying it up between the lot of them. One day, the sailor's ship is attacked, the captain slain and the rest of the crew taken on by the raiders. One deck hand recognized him, claiming he put him out of work and callin' him all sorts of nasty slang. He had claimed that the sailor had personally murdered his own son as well. The sailor refuted this, but it didn't matter. They ran him straight through with a cutlass. Didn't even give it a second thought. The body of the sailor fell to the ocean floor, lost to the sea."

The boy's eyebrows furrowed and he sat back up. "That wasn't very good of a story."

"Hey! You gonna let me finish or you just going to be an ingrate about it?!" The lack of response prompted him to continue. "The sailor was dead, yes, finding his way to the beyond. His soul didn't make it though, some say out of stubborness; other's say it was the injustice of a hard-working man's death. The devil himself rose up from the deepest trench and offered the man a deal. Power's beyond his imaginings in exchange for an eternity of service. With nothing to lose, the sailor accepted. He was immortal and all-mighty. He sprung from the depths of the ocean to the same ship that he fell to his death from. He slaughtered the men on board and took command of the entire thing. Every man's task was simple work for him alone, and he patrolled the sea looking for only the most capable and loyal sailors to join his crew. The riches they hoarded could be seen from miles beyond the horizon, a speck o'gold sailing across it. The number of hands grew, and as such so did the need for room. The men added to the sides and decks and transformed the ship into a floating fortress. It was the strongest and most formidable in the Atlantic, nothing could stop it, and nothing ever will." He slowly sat back, appraising the boys reaction.

"Is it real?" the boy asked excitedly.

"Course not!" Another one of the men spat. "The only real part of the story was how much work we got to do. An' now," he snatched the bottle of rum with only a few remaining sips in it from the storyteller, "I have night watch. You wasted my damn time, y'old cod."

The men slowly stood, leaving the boy alone. They stretched their backs with each step. The men headed to bed, waking some sailors for night duty and then getting in the hammocks they had left behind.

The boy begrudgingly followed to sleep, wanting to spend more time with the leisuring men but no one was left awake that he could sit with. He found rest in a cot by the stairs. The men avoided it because the bright moonlight would keep them awake, but the soft light blanketed him, making him feel safe as the story played on repeat in his mind.

 **So, I know this doesn't give much insight onto the actual story. I swear this actually is an SYOC about a Selection! I had a wild idea, and basically I'm holding a Selection at sea with the only governing power pirates listen to: voodoo, old magic, and money. I don't want to spoil anything fun that I have planned, but basically this floating fortress of a ship is the setting. I need 15-18 girls, all ranging in different backgrounds that would've been common in the 1700's, such as servants, entrepreneurs, nobility, slaves, etc. The story starts on a charter ship crossing the Atlantic from England. The form is on my profile, I accept PM's only because I need to be able to talk with you all submitting the characters! I will have a little blurb of information of the type of selected competition this is on my profile. Head over!**

 **Thanks for the interest! I really appreciate it, and I look forward to reading your submissions!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

The old superstitions that women aboard ships bring bad luck have it all backward. The only reason Cordelia felt it was so common was because women actually get things done on these glorified rat holes. God-forbid the men actually be forced to work every once in a blue moon.

"Geralt, if you don't triple loop that mast I'm going to tie you to it!" She shouted at the sky. The skinny crewmember snapped his eyes downward, realizing he'd been caught taking shortcuts. Cordelia paced the length of the main deck again and again as the men let down the sails. The skies had cleared from the morning's storms and a brisk wind had begun to pick up. Her tangled red hair whipped around her face but she let it go, ignoring it completely. She watched every twirl of the lines, meticulously picking out anything that could cause a problem. Her list of duties never seemed to end. By the start of the afternoon, the sails were taut and pulling the ship along at a decent speed, despite it's sheer mass.

She glanced at the heavy wooden door at the stern of the deck. She huffed and gathered the men. "Alright, no orders left except to maintain the current course. At ease." Most of the men retreated into the shade of the decks below, but several stayed behind to watch the ropes and keep it secure. Cordelia turned on her booted heel and marched towards the Captain's quarters with purpose. He is not allowed to give such a vague order; he knew how much it irked her.

She opened the door with far too much force as it swung around to hit the wall. Her keys jingled in her hand as she reached behind her with her free hand to slam it again, for good measure.

"Am I allowed to know what was so important that I had to be summoned at the end of a thunderstorm to pull the sails? They weren't even dry bring them down!" She shouted, but there was no one in the room. She had spoken to the yellowed skull placed in the center of the charts table. It sat there inanimate, making Cordelia feel like even bigger of a fool. "Jonas! I'm your First Mate! You have to answer me!" She marched to the table, slamming her hands down to each side of the skull.

"You shouldn't yell like that, remember?" The soft voice eliminated from the skull, and sounded as if it had come directly from the clenched teeth.

"I can yell when you don't give me proper orders. The men want to know where we are headed in such a rush."

"You can yell, sure. I did warn you though that it's bad for your health. No matter, though. We are heading north towards our next target."

Cordelia sighed, "Another cargo ship? We are set for the next 40 years with supplies, let the men rest."

"No." The skull didn't move but the reverberations of sound shook the boards of the cabin. "A more valuable target. The matter of succession is of the utmost importance. I found a charter ship crossing the ocean housing ample opportunity. We could miss our chance if we don't begin immediately. It's your duty to make sure we maintain our speed. I want to be there before the week ends to intercept them."

"That's only 3 days, how close are they?!"

"Close enough, we can make it. Just ensure our speed." The map the skull sat on morphed, allowing a path to form, detailing his desires and eventual intercepting point.

Cordelia slid the map out from the skull, and studied the course. "This is gutsy. Are you sure we can make it?"

"Do you doubt me?" The subtle threat was there, despite the years of trust built up between them.

Cordelia placed the map down, a simmer of heat burning her ears out of subtle anger. "No."

"Good, and continue working on that temper. It may get you into trouble some day."

Cordelia refused to respond, instead she turned away and headed out to the deck, making sure to pull the door shut as hard as she could. Her temper was her business, and she was sick of him pointing it out to her. She didn't care that their history was there, she was trying to do her job, the one he gave to her.

As she stepped out into the bright sunlight she took count of the men working. She had nine of them on the ropes, and two for backup. She may have been a woman, but had earned their respect. She was strict, and was the most organized and efficient master they'd followed in their years of privateering. She wasn't going to lose that respect today.

"Maintain, good work men!" She shouted, her voice projected past the wind with a lifetime of practice behind it. "Heading due north! Mouse!" She shouted up at the crow's nest, where a young boy stuck his head out. "We are looking for a charter. I need to be informed of everything you see round the clock. Don't let me down."

"Aye Moss!" He shouted in return. All the men called her by her surname, Moss. She felt it earned a stronger reputation than 'Cordelia'.

She hurried down the steps to the lower decks. Several men were sleeping but more were drinking and passing the time with card games, gambling, and telling stories. She walked with purpose, the men all snapping their attention to her, but she said nothing and continued down the next flight of steps. The floor below held the kitchen, and she hadn't yet eaten today. This deck had wild chickens running about, keeping whoever was walking around on edge as they tended to dislike anyone but the cooks. She approached a bowl with boiled eggs and some bread and took two of each. She stuffed them in her coat pockets and hurried back up the stairs. She made her way to the upper decks where the helmsman, an ex corporeal for the English navy, kept to the course. She dictated her orders from Jonas to him.

The men disliked hearing orders from their captain via the first mate, but order was needed. Only Cordelia knew where he was currently, but they all knew he was off-ship. She didn't leave the deck once she had set the course correctly and distributed more detailed orders.

She leaned over the railing, letting the wind hit her face, freckled on every inch from constant sun exposure. She had no interest in appearances, but several men had told her she was a unique form of beauty, at least until they'd gotten to know her attitude. She pulled and egg out of her coat pocket and peeled it, letting the shell fall into the water. She bit half of it and looked out into the horizon, the heat warping the ocean's flat surface to her eyes. She enjoyed her breakfast and took a moment to clear her head. The frustrations of not having Jonas aboard took their toll, and she clearly let her temper get the better of her more often when he wasn't around to calm her. She felt a wave of determination wash over her, as she wanted to complete this mission, so Jonas could return and set everything straight.

"Moss!" One of the men called from the main deck. The sheer size of the ship meant her work was never done. She stood straight and wiped her mouth on her sleeve heading back to her duties.

 **Thank you so much to everyone who has sent in submissions! I love reading them! Those who are still submitting, can I request no more nobility in the characters? Wealth is fine, but I'm trying to get more diversity and also I don't want them to all automatically recognize each other.**

 **Thank you Abizeau for the shoutout in her story, The World is Watching. I appreciate it so much! Also, everyone, if you haven't already seen it, go check out the Pinterest board for this story. headlessgummy**

 **Keep the submissions coming! Reservations are allowed but I need them in a few days, because I'm going to start introducing some of them. So excited!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2**

The hot Caribbean sun blanketed the ship, leaving Cordelia weary and exhausted. She'd not slept in 3 days, instead she was commanding the men who got to sleep in shifts. Her touch was needed in almost every aspect of running the vessel. She ducked into the Captain's quarters for a quick breather, reaching for the rum he stashed under his chair. The three days had passed, making this the most she'd been on edge in eons.

The rum was cool, having stayed out of view in the shade. She let the sweet liquid coat her lips, then took a deep breath. She untied the cloth around her head and dunked it in some old washing water to reapply. She didn't mind the grime, knowing she'd take a well-deserved week off to pamper herself later. After leaving the peace of the shade, she looked up to the crow's nest which was still silent, and scowled.

"Mouse! Anything yet?" She shouted for what seemed like the hundredth time this morning.

"No, Moss!" Mouse shouted, waving his hand out from the basket. His eyes were probably affixed to the spyglass.

She sighed and to her left saw a sailor struggling to let his line free. "Wes, this is why we don't take shortcuts. Now you have a knot."

"Sorry Moss, old habits." Wes was a man around her age who they'd rescued from a slaving vessel. As soon as the Jewel of Hades was spotted, Wes broke away from the line of men in handcuffs, and began beating his slavers. The rest of the men were let free on shore, but Wes requested to stay. He had no family to go to, and he'd wanted to pay his respects to the Jewel and it's crew.

She gave him a firm slap on his bare shoulder as encouragement that she wasn't too mad. She approached the netting and nimbly climbed it. For years now her frame had kept her on par with the young boys of the ship, allowing her to climb the netting quickly and without mistake. She was tall too, allowing her to stretch her arms further and with less difficulty. She climbed up the net ladder, and once she was eye level with the knot, she looped her leg through the rope to stabilize herself. She let go with her hands and forced the knot apart, letting the loose rope fall to the floor.

While she was here, her nerves got the better of her. She leapt from the starboard ropes to the central mast Jacob's ladder. She caught on, and quickly climbed up to the crow's nest.

"Sorry, Mouse. I know you're looking but I need to see for myself." Mouse was the youngest on the whole ship, with reddened skin from being constantly in the sun. A boy who lost his parents and found a family among thieves. She had a soft spot for the children on board, but Jonas never turned away a helpful hand.

The crow's nest was nearly 200 feet in the air, and towered over every ship in the entire ocean. This gave her a great vantage point to see out of, and she put her eye to the spyglass and spun around. Nothing but vivid blue ocean for miles out.

She gave the glass back to the boy, "Very well." She had one leg over the basket, heading down to check with Jonas again. They should've intercepted the charter by now.

"Wait!" Mouse squeaked, his voice cracking. Cordelia snapped her head back to see Mouse peering Northeast. She pulled the scope out of his grasp and saw for herself, nothing.

"Mouse! I don't have time for this!" She shouted.

"No, no! It's there!" He steadied it for her, and on the horizon was a sliver of black, warped by the heat of the day. Over a minute, it began to thicken into the shape of a large vessel. Mouse's trained eye had found it right as it manifested.

With a smiling gasp, and a smirk appearing on her face, she gave the glass back to Mouse. "Good work! Don't lose it, your eye stays on it!" She ordered. She swung her leg over the side and took hold of a rope tied securely to the center mast. She grasped it and jump, sliding down to the main deck. Her feet landed with a shaking thud and she began her orders. "All hands! Make way, starboard-side! We've got a ship to catch!" She sprinted up to the helm as the men around her jumped to order. Each man had a task that made the ship run smoothly. She came up to the cockswain, who had already begun turning the bow to the northeast. "Don't lose sight, Corporal." He had aimed directly at the ship, now slightly closer, but still easy to miss on the horizon. "No, go more port-side. They're headed west, and we need to intercept them, not chase them."

"Aye Moss."

She hurried to the bowsprit of the ship, preferring that view when going after ships. It was her favorite part of pirating, the rush of adrenaline as the ship ran full speed towards a battle.

* * *

Three women sat around a wicker card table, each eying each other suspiciously. The one in the yellow dress that nearly matched her long curls laid her hand down with a satisfying slap. "Full house ladies!" Victoria groaned and rolled her eyes as she threw her deck down, worth absolutely nothing, and let her head rest on her fist. Her dark curled hair fell over her shoulders with a bounce as she did so. The blonde began to reach for the pot, but Joyce wagged her finger.

"Ah, ah, ah, Viola! Four of a kind!" She revealed her own cards: four jacks. She'd laughed softly and teased the girl for reaching prematurely.

"I had a bad hand; not fair." Victoria huffed, but already reaching to deal a new hand out.

There were few women on the ship to begin with, as most were indentured servants coming to the New World to pay for their families' trips in subsequent years. There were even fewer who came from wealth, and the three of them were all the ship had. Over the past couple months the trio had grown close with each other, often spending an hour or two a day playing cards. The time was not quick to pass while on the ship. They typically paced the length of the ship to stretch their legs, and gossiped about what little they could regarding the happenings of the ship. They hadn't known each other before boarding. In fact, Joyce had been the first to bring them together as friends. She recognized the jewelry and finer linens adorning the women and realized they came from status.

"Viola," a soft voice came from the steps of the cabin. Her chaperone, Eliza, called gently to her.

"Yes?"

"I prepared some food for you. You forgot to eat breakfast again." Eliza beckoned for the girl to follow her.

She gracefully stood up from the table, careful not to squeak the lightweight chair she'd been sitting on. "Oh, coming!" She turned to her two friends. "I won't be long."

Joyce casually waved her hand, "Don't fret too much. I'm sure we can pass an hour or two for you to enjoy yourself." Victoria nodded in agreement.

Once alone, Eliza whispered, "Cela, dearest. We are-"

"I told you to call me Viola onboard," Celandine requested once again.

"No one is listening, and we are two days out from Phillipsburg. Have you figured out what to do once you are there?"

"No," Celandine started to say.

"You cannot be so frivolous with your plans. I have to be sure of your safety. What if this place is much more dangerous than we expected?"

Celandine smiled and held Eliza's arm assuringly. "I promise, whatever happens it'll all work itself out."

As she spoke, some sailors pushed passed her going down the stairs. In a matter of seconds, it seemed like there was much more commotion among the crew than briefly before. The two women headed to the top of the deck. They quickly realized they were very much in the way. Sailors ran about chaotically. The pulled down ropes, tied them up again, climbed the ladders, everyone had a job.

Eliza pulled on Celandine to urge her back down into the cabins, but Celandine was pulled to look out over the water. At the front of the ship, an immense figure loomed in the distance. It could've been a ship, but it looked nothing like one. Nearly ten stories tall, with sails double that of a normal sized ship. It looked like a piece of London had migrated out to sea. She gasped as she saw the flag that adorned the tallest mast. The black Jolly Roger that she'd learned about during her travels.

"Cela!" Eliza urged with a shriek, after seeing what she had been staring at. Celandine didn't even care that she'd used her real name, and instead followed. Her mind raced and she was entranced. She never thought she'd actually see pirates while on the voyage.

They ran into Victoria and Joyce, who were going up the stairs. They were quickly rushed back down by Eliza, who was scrambling to get to the lower level. "What's going on?" Joyce asked, panic coating her voice. "We heard the men shouting."

"There are pirates," Celandine whispered.

 **Thank you everyone for submitting your characters! The submissions are closed, so go check out all the girls on the pinterest board ( headlessgummy).**

 **Thank you Abizeau, OctaviaWithStarsForEyes, and Altomi for the characters in this chapter!**

 **I want to give you guys a little insight on my updating schedule. I don't want to set specific days for me to update, because I don't want you to be disappointed if I can't finish in time because life got in the way. I'm aiming for at least once a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. If there's a considerable period where I'm not posting, please, feel free to nudge me. I'll try to keep you all informed of when my exams are, because those weeks will be especially slow. Sorry!**

 **Regardless though, I hope you all like this chapter! Let me know what you thought of everything, and if there's anything I can improve on! I really do appreciate it.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

In a matter of minutes, the entire world came crashing down.

Quite literally, actually. The ship had a hole in the side of it. Most of the passengers hid down in the lower decks, but unfortunately Nell's curiosity had gotten the better of her. She ran out on deck at the first sound of cannons, narrowly missing the rain of wood chips and splinters from the now broken mast. Above, near the helm, the portly captain tried to keep the men in line, but it was clear that they were not doing well in this fight.

Nell glanced out, gripping the side of the ship until her knuckles turned white. Out beyond the turbulent waves, a ship sailed towards them with incredible speed. There were cannons on at least 4 levels, all charred black with gunpowder. The sides of the ship were painted over with tar, giving the overall appearance of a ship that brought death with it. Nell's heart raced, and she couldn't tell if she was terrified or exhilarated. She knew what that ship was; anybody would know. The men aboard had told stories of it at night, to scare the children aboard. It was the Jewel of Hades.

She lowered herself onto the wooden floor, her back the ship. Shock washed over her face as she saw the sailors either preparing the longboats to escape, or still scrambling to salvage what was left of the sails and attempt to sail away. Their efforts were all fruitless in Nell's eyes. There were nearly 250 people aboard, and the longboats only had enough space to fit the working crew. Passengers were going to be inevitably left behind. But for some odd reason, her feet would not move. She sat glued to the floor, unable to will herself to the rowboats that would keep her from dying.

"What are you doing?!" a woman shrieked. Nell put her attention toward the steps to her left to see another girl her age with silvery-grey eyes sprint towards her. The girl had a fierce look of determination. With a swift pull, the woman had pulled Nell to her feet and was rushing her to the boats. The sudden movement snapped Nell back into reality.

"It's pirates!" she shouted at her rescuer. The woman looked at Nell like she was daft.

"I can see that! In fact, I could see that two decks below from a gaping hole the side of the ship!"

Nell stopped running, letting her arm get pulled violently as the woman kept running and was forced to a stop. "So why aren't they firing anymore?" Nell was right. The pirates had fired off 7 shots, four of them missing the ship entirely, but three landing critical blows. The ship was damaged heavily just from those three, but the threat was there. A shadow was cast over the deck as the ship, whose top deck was as tall as the tallest mast on their charter. It was almost close enough to touch. What chaos was apparent before, had ceased entirely. A few men had dropped to their knees and began praying for mercy. They pulled the crosses in their shirts out and whispered into them frantically. Even more men scrambled below, either to hide or to get supplies to fight with. Nell was sure some were willing to jump out of the side of the ship into the dangerous waters below.

Ropes manifested from the towering ship, falling and pooling on their own deck. Several disgusting looking men, pirates, slid down the ropes and landing with a tremendous thud. At least 12 pirates came from above, sounding like thunder as they boarded. A menacing looking individual, with a fiery red beard and bald head snarled. "Present your captain!"

Nell's eyes flung to the helm, where the portly captain was nowhere to be seen. Instead the helmsman trembled, his hands gripping the wheel so tightly you could see the veins in his forearms from where she stood. Two pirates stomped up the stairs to where the unfortunate man stood, and gripped his shoulders, confining him.

The ginger bearded man spoke again, "Am I to expect that you all don't have a captain? That right?" He paced the length of the deck, staring everyone in the eye.

Nell followed his path with her gaze, and two of her ship's men spoke under their breath as he had his back turned.

In a heart wretching moment, the men stood and attacked the bearded man. That prompted several others to try and overtake these pirates on their ship. It seemed like good odds: twelve pirates against 30 crew men. Nell and the other woman shrieked and ran to the stairs, but were caught off guard by the thud of more boots in their way. More and more pirates flew down the ropes, and soon, over 50 of them stood on our deck. Everyone was shoulder to shoulder, and every british naval man had a sword pointed at their neck. Nell and her new companion had become cornered by two pirates, but luckily they did not advance on them. Everyone stood in tense silence for half a minute. A shrill whistle pierced the air, and every pirate mobilized. Each one barked out order creating a cacophony of low grumbles, raspy shouts, and various expletives. The reasoning was unclear but several pirates retreated below deck and ushered everyone up, a crowd of diverse weary travelers came out into the sunlight. Their eyes were wide with shock and worry. The systematic sorting of everyone began, every woman being pushed to the edge of the ship. It became clear though after a minute of this that the older women and children were not included, just those around her age. The crew were separated from the passengers as well. Nervous words were exchanged among everyone, whether they knew the person they stood next to or not. There was no such thing as social position among hostages.

The girls in the corner all huddled together. Nell had counted 25 including herself. The pirates seemed most focused on them, which worried Nell about their intentions. She suddenly felt exposed and wrapped her arms around her waist. In addition to being sorted by the pirates, several pirates had been moving all the luggage up from storage. It was obvious they were going to steal it, which had some very well dressed women fidgeting with nerves and tittering amongst themselves.

One by one, the pirates looked into the sky expectantly. Most everyone else followed suit, and Nell witnessed a figure, concealed by a toppled sail. The shadow was all you could see of a someone crouching high up on the masts. It was clear that in the commotion, this figure had moved from the pirate ship to the charter, observing the chaos below. What Nell was curious about though, was the appearance of long hair beneath a hat. It wouldn't be surprising if a man had possessed long hair, but the frame was far too thin to belong to one. So, it didn't come as a shock to Nell when a woman's low voice came from above, the sound bouncing repeatedly between the side of the pirate ship and the sails that surrounded her. "Bring them up."

That prompted shouts of concern and fear to erupt from almost every passenger. There were young mothers among the huddle that reached out and cried for their children, who did exactly the same. The burly pirates formed a wall, pushing the remaining passengers against the wall. Several longboats were lowered from the pirate ship to the much lower deck we stood on. The women were forced inside, everyone now screaming in fear. In the chaos, the woman from earlier leaned over to Nell's ear. "Listen, this is very bad. We can't get on those lifeboats."

"Who are you?" Nell looked up to stare the girl in the eyes.

"My name's Cordayne. Look you don't have to listen if you don't want. I'm just saying that I'm going to try to sneak out of this." Nell gripped Cordayne's hand to protest. The chances of that working seemed slim, but Cordayne shook her hand off, as if to say it didn't matter.

She fell behind the shuffling women, walking at the back of the group. In one swift motion, she ducked under a guarding arm and slid behind some of the charter's sailors. None of them said a word, easily concealing her.

But it didn't seem to matter, because a moment later there was a tremendous thud. The figure from above had jumped, without the aid of a rope, in the middle of the deck. The woman had a mess of red hair flowing down her shoulders, and a dirty black cocked hat on top of it all. Her maroon coat was only slightly big for her, but it enhanced her appearance by adding an air of authority to her. Her back was to Nell, as she walked to the sailors, and reached between them to pluck Cordayne out.

Cordayne's snarl could turn milk sour, and she bored holes into the eyes of the pirate woman. The redhead grasped Cordayne by the wrist and threw her into the arms of another pirate, this one well over six feet tall and built like an ox. The pirate woman began to walk away, before stopping, and lowering her head. She cocked her head like she was listening to something. She looked away like she was searching, scanning the faces of the sailors confined in the corner. Several men looked straight on like they had no fear in their hearts, but some hid their faces, clearly trying to not stand out. With three long strides, she forced her way through the bunch of men, and picked out a scrawny sailor boy. For some odd reason, she threw the boy into the group of women.

Upon seeing the boys face, Nell suspected that he was in fact a girl, but he continued to pull his face to the floor, looking away from all the pirates.

All the women had been loaded up and dragged to the top deck of the pirate ship. Nell saw the vast number of pirates that truly worked aboard this ship, which made the number of them below seem insignificant. Every hand was sorting the women, forcing them to sit or kneel on the ground, systematically keeping track of them. In the meantime, various cases of luggage were being pulled up too. It seemed that every passenger was going to lose their belongings to the pirates.

Some women cried, others stared into the eyes of the pirate with fire in their hearts. Some women even had shackles over their hands, and that made Nell wonder what they could've done to warrant that.

"You all will wait 'ere for Moss to give 'er orders. If you say a word, I'll slit yer throats," he paused, smiling. "Welcome to The Jewel of Hades." The women had no choice but to wait patiently for her return, as they were surrounded by a circle of pirates watching their every move. Nell felt lucky that her adrenaline was still coursing through her veins, or she'd have to bite her tongue. Instead though, she had to hold back a grin. _This is more like it_ , she thought, because of course she'd be apart of a pirate kidnapping. _What could be more exciting than that?_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Special thanks to** **Cookiedoodles168** **and** **RedMoonRabbit** **for Nell and Cordayne. Also thank you to** **Millyn** **a for Robin! I know her appearance was brief. Trust me, she has a lot more coming, but I wanted to squeeze in that interaction between her and Cordelia.**

 **Sorry that I'm not introducing the girls as fast as I thought. I got carried away writing the kidnapping scene, but that format didn't allow for many faces to be seen. I'll be more conscious of that in the next chapter. Additionally, I'm rereading all the profiles at the moment and piecing together how I want everyone to be introduced. I just wanted to put what I had out there for the night. So if you have a specific way you want your character to be introduced, please PM me!**

 **Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed this!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

The wait was excruciating. In the heat of the day, Brett Murphy was trying not to struggle against her irons. They bit into her wrists, causing blisters to break and bleed. The more she moved them, the worse it was. She and the two other women who shared a cell on the charter ship for the past few months eyed each other nervously. The three of them were all bound together by the chains on their wrists.

"Don't you move!" An older pirate had screamed at the lot of women in front of him. Several women still sobbed and failed at holding back their cries. It had been quite a while since any of the pirates had done anything on their own. They all seemed content to wait for the woman in the red coat. Brett could only assume that was the captain, but for it to be a woman seemed so improbable. If her time in England taught her anything, it was that being a woman is twice the work with half the reward.

The girl to her right, Connie, frantically struggled against the shackles, pulling on Brett and the other woman, Umakoti. Umakoti inhaled sharply from the pain at her wrists, but shut her eyes tightly and ignored it.

"Quit it, Connie!" Brett scolded. She had gotten to know Connie over the past few months from being in the brig on the charter. The two were as friendly as fellow prisoners could get. When Umakoti was found stowing away, the duo had become a trio. It wasn't surprising that Umakoti preferred to be on her own, the woman was a runaway slave who'd been caught. You could see it in her eyes that she'd been through so much more than Brett could imagine, and had a much more bleak outlook when she arrives in the Caribbean.

Brett couldn't help but wonder though if this was actually good for the three of them. Brett was being deported for a crime she didn't commit and Connie had attempted to run back to England to join her family, but was recognized by the indentured servant '009' tattoo on her left forearm. The life that awaited the three of them was going to be hard and unfair. She couldn't help but feel a flight of hopefulness that maybe these pirates were their way of escaping.

Her attention was snapped to the side of the ship, as the red haired woman climbed over the railing with ease. Every pirate around the stood a little straighter and waited for instruction, something Brett found odd. The woman barked an order to pull up the longboats, and as they were drawn up, Brett choked up. The many children aboard the charter were all huddled together, cowering against their siblings or friends. The mothers among the captive women screamed and began to beg the pirates to let them go free.

" _Quiet!_ " The red haired woman shouted, her voice carrying the volume of a man twice her size, and just as fierce. An instant hush fell over the scared women among them. The female-captain turned her attention to the numerous children. With a voice that sounded nothing like the one she'd used to silence the captives, she said, "Go to your mothers." The children all frantically tripped out of the longboats. Their faces were all wet from crying, and snot dripped down their lips. It didn't seem to matter to the mothers who, once they got their child in their arms, kissed them with fervor. Some women had four or more children clinging to them, and others just had one toddler. One youthful woman was even visibly pregnant and cradled her young son. The captain then turned to a nearby pirate and said, "Pick them out."

There were more worried shouts as the mothers shielded their babies from the brute men, but were easily plucked out from the crowd along with their children. The mothers and their children were shoved back into the longboats and confusion washed over them. The boats were lowered back onto the charter below, accompanied by a couple pirates.

Brett's mind raced, and she wondered why in the world being mother would make a difference to the crew. She briefly considered shouting out that she was with child, but the consequences of shouting that were so uncertain. For all she knew, the entire ship below could be slaughtered because they were no longer useful. _But... what usefulness would we hold?_ Brett thought about herself and the other women left aboard the pirate ship.

"Tow the ship."

"Aye, Moss!" The crew shouted in unison, and then began to hurry about, gathering rope and propelling themselves down to the charter. The red haired woman, Moss, stomped up the stairs to the helm. She reached into her jacket and pulled out an object, an aged skull, and held it in front of her. Brett couldn't catch the words, but Moss spoke to the skull as if it could hear her and respond. She held a conversation with it, and Brett was sure she was in the company of pirates gone mad from the sun and heat. The remaining women sat still, equally as confused. With a stern face, Moss rejoined the group of women and the guarding pirates.

"Stow the girls in the song hall. I'll address them later. Give them food and drink." She turned a narrow side eye to Brett, Connie, and Umakoti. "And released their irons. Every woman here is my guest, treat them how you would treat me."

Brett's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. A short skinny pirate knelt down to release the three women from their bindings. Connie looked equally surprised and Umakoti's brows furrowed in suspicion.

Like cattle, the remaining women were led down into the depths of the ship. As they went down each level, the temperature dropped considerably. They were herded into a large room resembling the layout of a tavern, though that was the extent of which Brett could compare it to. She wasn't exactly well-versed in various locations. There were tables with benches on either side, and a small carpeted elevated platform at the back of the room. Candles with ornate arms were attached at every post, giving a warm glow to the room. Various fine paintings were attached to the walls, and the overall appearance was a dingy room that had vast amounts of wealth added to it. Red curtains were pulled away from a sealed doorway near the stage.

"You'll wait for Moss 'ere," a pirate with a gruff raspy voice said. The small group of pirates turned and left, and a click at the door meant they were locked in.

Brett gingerly held her wrists, and looked around the room. The lot of them were held in stunned silence, but after a moment, some women in beautiful gowns began nervously tittering.

Connie turned and placed a hand on Brett's arm. "Should we be worried? I don't trust them, but even this is unorthodox for pirates."

"I know what you mean," Brett said. She looked out among the women, all of them varying in social standing and background. "Umakoti," Brett called. Umakoti was standing behind the group, trying to blend in with the wall. "Stand with us. It's not smart to be on your own in a pirate ship."

The woman cautiously walked toward the group, standing adjacent to Brett, but was visibly relieved that Brett was there for her.

"It's the Jewel of Hades, like from the stories!" A young woman stood in the center of a small gathering, wildly gesturing as she spoke.

"It can't be," Brett whispered to herself.

Connie looked to Brett, "What is the Jewel of Hades?"

Brett shook her head to wipe the thought from her mind. "It's nothing- a fairy tale told to sailors to scare them into submission."

"How do you know about it?" Connie asked.

"I had a few… interactions with some pirates. I've heard it a few times. It's about a pirate ship belonging to a powerful captain who possesses the power of the devil. It can't be true though. This captain was a woman, and obviously doesn't have any magical power."

Umakoti spoke up, her Zulu accent thick. "Unless she's not the captain, and the worst is yet to come." Her ominous and worried warning caught Brett off guard. She had just assumed that the person leading the crew was the captain. In addition to that, Umakoti didn't speak often to them, so anything that she said caught the attention of Brett and Connie immediately.

The unlocking of the door caught the attention of every girl. A massive man with dark skin and multiple scars along his arms and chest entered the room, barely able to fit through the door.

As he stepped to the side, Moss was revealed. Compared to the man, she was dwarfed in size, yet still managed to be more intimidating.

"You may have a seat, Wes." The man, Wes, turned and grabbed a plush velvet stool and sat directly next to the door. Moss walked straight through the gathering of women, a path forming as she did. She approached the elevated platform behind us. You could hear a pin drop between the rhythmic thuds of her boots on the floor. She turned once on the makeshift stage, her face cold and revealing little emotion. "You all may have a seat as well." Everyone found seats among the benches and kept their attention on her.

"I'd first like to apologize to everyone. I know it can be quite terrifying, being abducted like this. But I can assure you that it's not all bad." She began to pace the stage, her hand resting on the handle of her sword. "My name is Cordelia Moss. I have an opportunity, that I'd like each of you to seriously consider. No harm will come to you so long as you are within my charge, I can promise that." _But what about once we weren't?_ Brett thought of every devious possibility that could come true. "I can also promise, that any desire you ladies may have, I can fulfill that. Whether it be riches," she reached into her coat pocket and lazily dropped a handful of rubies to the floor, "power, love, or a chance at a better life. One where you will be treated as an equal. We're calling it a Selection. Treat it like a competition. If you prove your worth, you'd be surprised at what we can offer." She paused, waiting for someone to speak up and ask questions.

"Very well, then Wes will show you all to your quarters-"

"I heard you work through the devil." Brett said without thinking. Moss's eyes snapped to look at her, for asking a question so boldly. There wasn't much Brett could do other than accept that she'd confronted this pirate. She stood up from the bench so the room could see her. "I've heard stories that the crew of the Jewel of Hades is damned, and you have power and riches but at a great cost. That the captain speaks to the devil and obtains instructions on his will." Brett gripped the edge of the table in front of her to hide her shaking hands.

Moss's eyes narrowed, but a faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "What is your name?"

"Brett Murphy."

Moss took wide but slow steps off the stage and toward Brett, not breaking eye contact. "Brett Murphy, I cannot speak to the nature of the captain nor the ship's crew. What I will tell you is that the captain possesses great powers, ones that should be rightfully feared and admired. You were one of the women in chains, correct?"

Brett nodded slowly, her eyes flickering to Connie at her side who had her eyes down cast. Connie's hand was shaking beneath the table. Umakoti, however, was as still as a rock. If she feared the woman before her, she didn't show it.

"Then you must have seen such hardship in this world. I'm no stranger to that myself, but I am not damned. No individual on this ship is damned unless they have inflicted it upon themselves. How would you like to never feel the bite of iron on your wrists again?"

"I'd like that very much."

Moss looked at Brett more as a friend encouraging strength than a feared pirate. "Then you should take this opportunity to empower yourself.

Moss reached across the table and grasped the arms of Umakoti and Connie, and gently lifted their arms to stand. "Every one of you in this room should feel empowered enough to take this opportunity. I will not mislead you."

A voice piped up in the back from a woman of color with wildly curly hair. "What about the people on our ship? My parents are on there." She stood strong but two other girls had their hands on her back, as if to support her.

Moss turned to face the girl. "We are towing the ship within a couple miles of a nearby port. We will then light a signal fire to alert the town's navy. As they rescue your families, we will sail away. I encourage you to give this a chance. If you find you prefer the company of people who will always see you as inferior, you will be free to go." The young woman didn't respond to Moss, just nodded.

"Now," Moss started to say while walking towards the back door. "I have to inform the captain of your arrival. Please everyone follow Wes. He will care for your needs while I'm gone." And without another word she left the girls in his care.

* * *

 **After some technical difficulties, I can update! Thank you to** **Celegra123** **,** **shadeslayerprincess111** **, and** **PixarGirl** **for the three main girls in this chapter! I'm loving the fact that I'm halfway through introducing everyone, because once you know who's who, the real fun can begin!**

 **I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I'd also like to put out a general disclaimer that if at any point reading my chapters, something seems derogatory or offensive, I'm writing a story about a different time. There is a lot of diversity in this cast of characters, and many people in the 1700's didn't see people as equal. It's a sad part of history, but it's true. I want to be clear that this never in anyway reflects my opinions, and I'm absolutely abstaining from extremely offensive words so far.**

 **Thanks again! Keep posting to those Pinterest boards, they give me a ton of ideas, and if at any point you have an idea for your character don't hesitate to PM me!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5**

Thank goodness for Wes, because if not for him the women would've been hopelessly lost in the multi-leveled ship. Lara had never even though a ship this big could be possible to construct, and that thought made her contemplate whether the woman from the gathering earlier was correct, that demonic craft was used in its construction. Surprisingly, each woman got their own room. Lara couldn't even complain that it was still a small cabin, because she was given the privacy of her own space while among pirates.

One by one, the travelling group of pseudo-hostages were dropped off in their own room. Wes didn't say a word, instead opening the door and letting one woman in at a time. He wasn't aggressive about it, but the look on his face told Lara that this was something he wasn't too happy about doing. Lara was near the back of the huddle of remaining girls, so she expected that she was probably going to be one of the last to find her room. This was good for her, because a thief should always know where everyone sleeps. It was second nature at this point to memorize the layout as they went, no matter how hard it was. Four girls remained as they entered the last hallway. Wes gestured for the smallest of the group to enter a room, but she didn't budge, and tilted her head down, letting her short black hair fall into her eyes.

The first words she'd heard out of Wes' mouth was, "Get in the cabin." He lowered his gaze on this small woman, accentuating the size difference between them.

"I'd prefer to sleep among the crew." The woman's voice was slightly deeper than she'd expected, like she was trying to fake it.

"The women get their own cabins. Moss' orders." Wes was unbudging, his dedication to his commander was astonishing, combined with the irritation among his face from dealing with squealing women all day.

"Then I should sleep with the crew. I'm no woman. Moss was mistaken grabbing me from my men."

Wes burst out with a boisterous laugh, "Then what's your name, boy?"

"Rob."

"Moss doesn't make mistakes like that, Rob. If you aren't a woman, prove it. Pull out your prick." Lara's eyes widened as she was caught off guard by Wes' boldness.

The woman had been caught in her bluff, and stood still for a moment, her face still staring at the planks of wood beneath their feet. "I cannot," she said and Wes smiled, knowing he had proved her lie. "It's indecent to do so in the company of women."

To Lara's right, a woman with a couple beauty marks and eyes that were sharp enough to remind Lara of a cat spoke up. "It's nothing I've never seen before. I can promise that."

The battered looking asian woman behind Lara lightly chuckled and nodded, "I'd have to agree." Her accent was thick and unplaceable, but if Lara had to guess it was Italian and… Chinese maybe? Three sets of eyes fell on Lara to grant permission for the indecency requested.

"I don't care," Lara said as she shrugged it off.

Once again, Wes smiled in triumph. "Well then, prove me wrong."

In defeat, the girl forced her way past Wes and into the room provided. _Well, that settles it._ Lara thought, following Wes down the hallway. The well dressed woman with the feline eyes and dark hair was next, then the asian woman, leaving Lara for last. Once she had entered her cabin, she noticed the skinny bed propped against the wall. There was an odd mixture of divinely rich items, and then tattered and salt-soaked essentials, like the mattress. The bedding itself was a thick silk duvet with oriental patterns on the front, but beneath the coarse mattress was stained and lumpy. A minuscule teetering vanity was adorned with fine necklaces and earrings, and a small wardrobe chest in the corner of the room was open displaying a folded red satin dress with gold accents.

Was Lara expected to dress up for the crew? The treatment from being forced on board, so suddenly becoming not-so-willing special guests that received extremely fine clothes and jewels.

There was a little voice in Lara's head that begged her to take the jewels, every one of them, and stash them in her pockets. It was in her admiration of the priceless jewelry that she saw the note on the corner of the vanity.

 _Welcome to the Jewel._

 _Make yourself comfortable._

 _At sunset there will be a party on the top deck._

 _Please, wear whichever jewels you would like, and there is a fresh dressing set in the chest._

Lara recalled the opulent red dress in the chest, unsure of how she was meant to put in on by herself. Her room had a small porthole and she poked her head near it to see the sky beginning to grow in vibrancy. She probably had an hour at most to get dressed if she wanted to attend. Something told her it wasn't a choice.

She looked down her her own outfit: a pair of pants and a tight linen shirt. It was odd for a woman to wear pants, which made her stand out more. A feeling of unease washed over her as she realized she couldn't remember the last time she'd worn a dress. She gathered the material in her arms, and laid it out neatly on the bed. Left in the chest were various undergarments, such as petticoats, stomachers, and the dreaded corset.

In one swift motion, Lara pulled off her shirts. She took the corset in her hands and studied it. The few times she'd worn it someone else helped her put it on. Now she was stuck trying to put herself in it. She held it up to her torso, and gave it a couple attempts at trying to wrap it around herself.

"Screw this," she said, and threw the corset onto the bed. She took the actual dress and threw it over her current clothes. It fell strangely without the proper padding beneath it, and there was no way to secure it to herself. "This is why I hate dresses. Not practical at all," she said to herself, while looking in the mirror to appreciate her form. She gathered the hem of the dress up and tied it in a knot at her hip. It revealed her boots and made it easier to walk in. It wasn't exactly ladylike, but she was technically still wearing the dress at the pirate's request.

Satisfied with her sarcastic fashion statement, she gathered up all the jewels on the vanity and stuffed them into her pockets. The last thing she wanted was to have someone else taking them. She opened the cabin door and stomped back down the hallway from before.

It startled her when the door to her right swung open as well, revealing one of the women from before. "Oh! Excuse me!" Her striking cat-like eyes widened in surprise, but then narrowed as they appraised Lara's outfit. "What exactly are you wearing?"

"A dress."

"Well, I can see that. I can also see you have a few parts missing." She huffed, but still smiled like she was appraising a well-meaning child. "Zephora," she held out a hand to shake, and Lara apprehensively took it.

"Lara." Zephora nodded curtly and put a hand to Lara's back, leading her back down the hallway.

"Which cabin is yours? I'm going to fix you up."

Lara looked down at Zephora's own outfit, seeing that it was a fine dress as well, this one in a delicate lilac color. "How'd you get dressed so quickly, let alone put everything on yourself?"

Zephora gave a light chuckle, like she was reminded of an inside joke. "Years of practice. Trust me, I didn't have many women around to dress me when I needed it most." Lara led Zephora back to her own room, allowing her in.

Zephora immediately began pulling the garments off of her. When she reached the stashed jewels, she didn't even flinch, and just placed the pouch on the bed, with Lara's eyes watching every move. The corset was first, place over her loose undershirt. Every movement was well practiced, and her nimble fingers had laced her up before Lara could even tell that it was on. The flying of fabric over Lara's head was dizzying, and in a matter of minutes, the dress was properly placed. Zephora began to reach to unlace Lara's boots, but Lara took a quick step back. "I'd like to keep the boots on. Nobody can see them anyway." Zephora shrugged but didn't argue, reaching back for the pouch of jewelry, and giving it to Lara. Lara lifted the fabric up, and tied the pouch of jewelry to her hip. When she lowered the dress, you couldn't even see where it was.

"Well then, you look pretty presentable, if you ask me." Zephora hooked an arm around Lara's waist as if they were old friends. Lara was apprehensive, but Zephora made it easy to go along with things.

They left the cabin, and as they traversed the many halls leading back to the main deck, women one-by-one began to exit their rooms, equally dressed in fine things. Some had exited their rooms in groups of two or three, no doubt helping each other dress. There was an air of excitement and apprehension. Some women grinned widely and others held their heads down, avoiding attention. Lara recognized quite a few faces, but not many names came with it.

When they ascended the stairs leading to the main deck, there was music that slowly grew. Once up, she saw several pirates leisurely playing instruments, and several women already arrived and conversing. The asian woman from earlier was already there, and Lara felt the urge to approach her.

Not only that, but she was one of the first women she saw that wasn't in the provided dress. She still wore her original clothes, a sturdy coat with silver thread weaving patterns in the collar. The difference was she was wearing an ornate bracelet cuff and several rings. That was the extent of her compliance.

"I wish I'd known the dress was optional," Lara said, fluffing up the skirt for emphasis.

"Sometimes you have to take the risk. Florence," she introduced herself with a very thick accent.

"Lara," she smiled and offered her hand, to which the woman grabbed her forearm in a tight grasp, and Lara reciprocated the strong handshake. "This is Zephora." Lara held a hand out to invite Zephora forward, who had been slightly left behind.

Their introductions were cut short as the sound of a man near the stern of the deck called out to the slightly growing crowd of pirates and women. "Ladies! Welcome to our humble ship. I am Ulfric, and at the request of our zealous captain and first mate, I'd like to present a small show."

The pirates around the girls whistled and cheered, clearly excited that the day's duties were over and their fun could begin.

Ulfric stepped to the side, and up the stairs came a small gathering of men. The man leading the group had an ostentatious feathered tricorn, and had clearly stuffed his jacket with padding. They began setting up a story, and put on a theatrical show.

Throughout the play, there were multiple bottles being passed among the crowd, pirates insisting that the women drink up. Several women did without hesitation, and others were convinced within a moment. By the time the sun had fully set, half the women on board were howling with laughter at the performance, their faces flushed with spirits. Lara stopped the liquor from entering her mouth with her tongue when she took the bottle. Her guard wasn't completely down, and adding rum to the situation wouldn't benefit her in the slightest. She noticed as Moss approached from behind, resting her elbows on the railing of the deck above them. She watched the show in the background. It seemed Lara was the only one who noticed her.

Moss was clearly dressed to be noticed though. In the time since they'd seen her, she had shifted from her practical coat and pants, to wearing a leather bodice, and copious amounts of gold and diamonds along her neck. She tapped her fingers on the wooden banister, and Lara noticed the point of a bejeweled metal claw on her index finger. Her hair was pulled away from her face, though it still held onto it's wild and tangled shape.

Lara turned her attention back to the play, deeming Moss to not be a threat from behind.

The howls of laughter only grew stronger as a pirate came from the stairs dressed in full women's garb. His face was powdered white with circles of rouge on his cheeks. Lara paid little attention to the story but from what she gathered it was about a noble general and a trickster pirate, both vying for the love of this 'woman'. The grand finale was the girthy woman tripping over her dress as she rushed to the pirate, ending with a fake passionate kiss behind his feathered tricorn as the pirate swept her off her feet.

The small cast bowed at the conclusion. The audience was now decently inebriated and the awkwardness had worn off, allowing conversation to continue unhindered. Lara noticed Moss slowly walking to the center of the group, and began mingling with some of the girls. Lara excused herself from the side of Florence and Zephora to approach her.

"Moss?" Lara asked, and the red haired woman turned toward the voice. "My name is Lara Samers. I had a few questions on the purpose of our stay."

Moss sighed and took a sip of wine out of an exquisite goblet. "I cannot divulge much right now. We are en route to the captain as we speak, and he can explain more."

Lara's lips disappeared into a thin line, "That's not good enough. I'm sorry, but I had a task to complete in the Caribbean-"

"You mean your target?" Moss interrupted, leaving Lara at a loss. _How did she know?_

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lara insisted.

Moss smiled, "I know all about your line of work. More accurately, the captain does, and he's informed me of you all well before you even arrived."

"I thought you said we are retrieving the captain now?"

"We have ways of communicating when he's off ship." Moss took another sip of her wine, the purple color beginning to stain her lips. "I know that you're on the run and that your target is bringing a hefty pay day. Enough to disappear, perhaps? The great thing about pirates, Lara, is that we all have skeletons in our closet. We protect each other. You could profit from our company." She smiled and put a heavy gilded hand on Lara's shoulder. "In more ways than one." With that ominous statement, Moss left Lara standing there, both suspicious and extremely intrigued by the possibilities the Jewel of Hades could supply her with.

* * *

 **Thank you to tyozzie123, wolfofstark, Slytherwitch, and Millyna for their characters in this chapter! I loved writing them all! **

**Everyone's Pinterest boards for their character help with my inspiration, and I have some really cool ideas planned, so keep pinning! Also if you have any story arc ideas that you really want, let me know!**

 **Please review, because I'm always up for some constructive criticism! I genuinely try to fix things in my future chapters that have been issues before. I love hearing everyone's feedback and excitement, too. It really motivates me too keep going and staying up on my writing!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! We are getting really close to meeting the rumored captain Jonas in the couple chapters to come! I'm so excited to bring him to life!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

There was a gentle roar of conversation and laughter that hung in the warm Caribbean air. It put the women at ease to enjoy the beverages the crew had to offer. Rum was available in Europe, but more expensive as it had to be shipped across the ocean. Here though, every pirate had a bottle of cheap rum they've stashed for nights like these. The drinks were passed around amongst the girls as well, lifting their melancholy moods and putting them at ease.

It wasn't long before two women, Stella and Charlotte found a friend amongst the crowd. You could tell they were similar, just from the gleam in their eyes, one that could only result from a self-made woman in a man's world.

Charlotte approached first, appraising Stella's dark hair in contrast wither her own blonde, and seeing the look of judgment in her eyes upon the party.

"Well you look like fun," Charlotte sarcastically said.

"Was it my brimming smile that told you that?" Stella retorted, immediately garnering a laugh from Charlotte.

"Charlie, pleasure." Charlotte said as she held out a hand to shake. As Stella took it, Charlie offered her the sandblasted bottle of rum in her left hand.

With a slight smile Stella accepted the offering, "Stella."

After a large gulp of the sweet alcohol she said with a flat expression, "I'd like to disclose that I've never quite been the social gathering type."

Before Charlie could assure her, however, a boisterous rough voice came from behind her.

"But 'cha do look like the bettin' type!" An arm was swung around Charlie's shoulder, immediately making her tense. Charlie saw the look of fire in Stella's eyes as her brows narrowed and her grip on the bottle turned her knuckles white.

Charlie shrugged off the pirates arm roughly, not giving a second thought to how he might take the gesture. "Hey listen, I won't hesitate to-"

But Charlie was cut off, "I am the betting type, actually," Stella said, catching the attention of them both. Her look of abhorrence was gone, and a sly grin adorned her face instead.

The hefty pirate cackled, "Hey, 'atta girl! Take a seat, let's play!" The three sat themselves down onto makeshift seats from various utilities on the deck. The pirate laid out a fan of worn and weathered playing cards with suspicious yellow stains in the corners. "The name of the game is Jack. It's my game, so it's my name."

Charlie was unsure whether to take that as an introduction or a lack of creativity on Jack's part, but his lack of pause didn't allow her the moment to debate it. He continued on to explain the rules in brief detail, with Stella nodding in understanding while Charlie struggled to follow. Cards flew down onto the table they'd made up and were swapped between the two. Stella's focus on the game was impressive, picking up the rules and making what Charlie assumed were strategic plays.

Just as quickly as it started, it was over, with Stella losing. "Aw don't beat yourself up over it, dearie! Maybe you just need a bit of incentive. Say, two pieces of eight?"

Stella reached into the pocket of her layered dress and pulled out three pieces of eight. "Make it three."

An egotistical laugh erupted from Jack, "You've got a deal!" He began dealing out cards once again. This time, Stella seemed calm and self-assured. A small gathering of witness pirates formed around the three of them. Though Charlie had no idea how the game was still played, the pirates surrounding them whispered tactics and strategy.

 _"I would've taken the other card."_

 _"She must have a nine!"_

 _"There's no way he can lose!"_

Charlie's fingernails dug into her palms, as the game dragged on and it was clear that Stella's challenger was struggling to win.

With a satisfying riffle of her cards, Stella revealed her hand to Jack with a smug smile. The small crowd burst in jeers and laughs. It's seemed that she'd won against him. She took his meager three pieces of eight from the table top, leaving Jack alone to defend his game to his peers. With a rush of confidence pulsing through her, she looped her arm through Charlie's and led her away from them.

"That was great! You picked it up so fast!"

"I didn't just pick that up. I used to play that game with my friends back in London! It's called Jacks for the cards, not for his name. Egotistical bastard." Even though she insulted her opponent, she beamed and truly looked comfortable amongst the people now.

"You have to teach me!" Charlie begged.

Stella pulled a deck of cards from her pocket, pulling out a deck of cards tied together with thick yellowed string. "I'm always down to teach, so long as you're not afraid of losing a few coins here and there," she said, a devilish smile plastered on her face.

* * *

Caroline was aware the she was safe, but the idea of living amongst pirates indefinitely made her heart race with fear. When she was escorted to her room, she spent most of that time trying to breathe and rationalize through it. They seemed to be decent enough.

However, her nerves were set on edge when a very drunk pirate stumbled over to her little corner of the deck. He wasn't a large man, but surely towered over her petite stature. His breath reeked of booze and smoke, and she was unfortunately close enough to see food particles in his scruffy beard. Her nose scrunched up and she turned away, in an attempt to ignore his close presence.

"Lil' lady," he slurred, "didja know that you've got some real pretty blue eyes?"

"I'm aware of the color of my eyes," she curtly said.

He leaned back against the siding of the ship, but his weight shifted to leaning on her. "I got blue eyes too ya know," he said and turned to face her with his eyes half shut and fluttered his lashes. Panic rose through her, mixed with either disgust or bile, she wasn't sure which. She stood up, and with her steadiness not there to support him, he fell over. "Aw, damn," he said under his breath as his bottle spilled onto his shirt.

Without a second thought, Caroline went looking for place she could spent the night observing. There wasn't an urge to go back to her cabin just yet, especially since Moss seemed to be perusing the lot of women to get to know them. Caroline wasn't sure she'd get the opportunity to know more about the woman who seemed to keep so many vile men under wraps. Across the deck there was a grouping of women, all facing the side of the deck and huddled together like they were keeping secrets. As she approached them, she saw they were picking pastries out of a small basket that one girl held at her waist. Her eyes must've said what she was thinking, because a girl with wildly frizzy hair and cinnamon colored skin took a pastry from the basket and offered it to Caroline. "They're a little stale, but still quite delicious, especially compared to the rations we've had back on the charter."

Caroline took it, and despite the chewiness the pastry had taken on, it was still exquisite. The light sour taste of lemon danced across her tongue while the sweetness of the bread countered it well. "Where did pirates even get pastries?"

"Pretty sure they baked them! Go on Olympia, tell her how you got them."

The girl holding the basket looked down, shadows from the candles bounced off her already dark cocoa skin. She took a pause before explaining, and didn't make eye contact with Caroline. "I told Cordelia that I was hungry. She brought me down to the kitchens to get some food, and they made it just for all of us. I was told to share with everyone, but…" she trailed off, a meek smile tugging at her lips. Caroline noted how she referred to Moss as 'Cordelia' instead, like the two had already had time to become closer.

"I'm Maia, by the way." The frizzy haired woman put a hand on the girl holding the basket. "Olimpia, of course. And this is Zylphia." Caroline nodded to each of them. Her attention was brought to Zylphia, who his her right hand in her pocket, and reached across the ladies with the left hand to get another pastry. Zylphia was even shorter than Caroline, to her disbelief, and her round features were sweet and demure, but her movement was awkward and timid. Caroline felt a twinge of comfort, being among women who were not rough and tumble like some others, and though Maia had a aire of liveliness and excitement, she didn't seek out the pirates around her either.

The four of them stood there while they ate the stale lemon tarts and let the warm breeze brush their faces. In that content silence Maia's expression shifted.

"Maia?" Zylphia asked.

" _Shh,_ " she put a finger to her lips and turned her head to the left, like she was trying to listen to something. "I think they just dropped something into the water."

Caroline's immediate instinct was to look around them to see if there was land anywhere, a habit she'd gotten into on the original ship, but it was too dark to see anything. "How can you tell?" she asked.

"I think I heard it."

The four women were silent, hoping to allow Maia a chance to hear something more, but there was nothing but the merriment of the party surrounding them.

"You must've imagined it," Zylphia encouraged, but Maia shook her head.

"No , I'm sure."

Caroline noticed a few men stumbling around, letting ropes loose and releasing weights. On a strong hunch, Caroline leaned over the wooden railing to see their charter ship floating away. Attached at the stern of the ship was a longboat. It was hard to make out the shapes in the dark of the night, especially as it floated away and only a small sliver of a moon to light up the air.

With a loud bang, the four girls shrieked. The long boat had combusted into frightening yet beautiful display of sparks. As more went off, whistles and pops could be heard. The height some of these sparks reached was truly impressive.

"We're leaving it behind!" Olimpia said, worry coating her voice. Caroline recalled that she had been the one worried for her parents earlier that day. They could think of nothing to comfort her as the Jewel of Hades sailed past it. Soon, the steady stream of sparks were the only things visible, as the silhouette of the ship vanished into the black of the water.

The women didn't eat another pastry as they stood in solemn silence, their last chance at escaping left behind.

"Look!" Zylphia said, as she pointed out across the water. There was a faint glow of a candlelit ship, headed in the direction of the charter. It was almost impossible to make out details, but as they continued searching for light among the water, they spotted a small port town just a small way away. The Jewel was not headed towards the town itself, but several miles away from the docks. They were far enough that it didn't seem to matter that their deck was lit up by candlelight and that music poured overboard.

It was then that Caroline noticed that Moss was no longer among the crew and her guests. She had disappeared from sight, leaving everyone to drink and distract themselves. Olimpia seemed to have noticed this as well. "Where's everybody?" she asked. With Moss gone, over a dozen men were also missing who'd been present earlier. The crowd had thinned and only gotten drunker.

"Is this our cue to turn in for the night?" Zylphia asked.

"No," Maia said, certainty coating her voice. "There's trouble happening. We just can't see it… yet."

* * *

 **I know! I'm the worst! I went into a food coma after Thanksgiving. I have so much willingness to write, but the actual movement of typing is so relaxing and I just want to sleep!**

 **Don't judge me. I'm lazy and proud, but I end up getting it done. ;)**

 **Thanks to Firealis, sourapplesnap, BaileyandAubreyandIvy, ChillyIce, Sylea, and Fairytoto1 for you're awesome characters! I hope you felt they were fleshed out well. I'm just so excited to get down to the nitty gritty of the story.**

 **Please let me know what you thought of this chapter! I apologize for any typos, again, both laziness and being excited to get this chapter out means that I didn't proofread too well. Thanks!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7**

The night was very still, and the creaking of the wooden beams of the mast put Cordelia on edge. The hairs on her arms stood up despite the warm humidity. Behind her, Wes and Geralt stood ready for action, ropes already tied to pulleys to expedite a rescue.

Cordelia went through a mental checklist, everything the Jonas had instructed her to do.

 _Distract and welcome the girls, check._

 _Release the charter in direct view of the port, check._

 _Attach a longboat filled with fireworks, check._

 _When the fireworks go off, meet on the west side of the town, Jonas will come to you._

All that was left was to wait for Jonas' next action. It physically pained Cordelia to have to be this patient. She was a woman of purpose.

The jovial music on the main deck echoed up to the bow where they waited. She squinted, begging her eyes to adjust to the nearly moon-less night.  
She'd instructed two of her men, the most expendable two, to row out to shore and light a torch. Jonas was meant to meet them there and be rowed back to the Jewel. Before they leave they were meant to light a second torch to signal that the rendezvous had been completed, and to prepare to welcome Jonas.

In her correspondence with Jonas, he seemed rather interested in the girls' well beings. He'd wanted every detail to be perfect, which was difficult to do on such short notice, but they'd managed regardless. Cordelia slightly hoped that the small party she'd prepared for the girls would put him in good spirits as well. _He just hasn't been himself recently_ , she thought.

Then again, neither had she. The stress Jonas was under was expressed only around Cordelia in private. That was a lot for just her to bear.

Finally.

In the shadows of the island, she saw the single torch become two. "Prepare to lower to ropes," she commanded. Wes and Geralt worked seamlessly in unison to lower the weighted ends of the ropes to the water. They stood on the opposite end of the pulleys in rigid attention, ready to move at a moment's notice.

Only a few minutes later, there were three tugs on the ropes leading to the water below. With a grunt, each man began hoisting up the boat below with a great deal of effort.

Cordelia anxiously stuck her head over the side, and saw the boat rise over a hundred feet up to the helm deck. Three men sat patiently in the boat, looking up to meet her gaze.

At one end, the two men she'd sent, and on the other was Jonas. His hair was drenched with seawater and sweat and his eyes fell down away from hers, like he was disappointed.

Once the long boat was level with the bow, Wes and Geralt tied it off, making sure it was steady and stable. Jonas, of course, was the first to step out, his worn leather boots thudding on the wood of the deck. He began to walk past Cordelia, but she stepped into his path. His scowl appeared, but Cordelia was the only one in the whole world who could get away with stopping him like that.

"What did he say?" Cordelia asked.

At first he said nothing, and you could see behind his eyes that he was still processing his mission. "Can we discuss this later?" He calmly requested. Cordelia understood… things hadn't gone well.

Without a word, she stepped to the side. Jonas crossed the helm, the four men following him. Cordelia stood alone on the helm, counting her breaths to calm her growing frustrations. Behind her, the sounds of five men stepping down the stairs, in front of the whole party.

* * *

Victoria stood to the side as Viola was deeply engaged in a conversation with a man by the name of Louis. They looked so mismatched, Viola in her maroon satin gown with perfectly coiffed blonde hair, and Louis a young man with a face full of scars and soot. He was telling her how me was in charge of manning the canons. It was obvious that he was boasting his position, but she ate up every word. She leaned forward and hung on every word, taking it as gospel. Victoria had watched as Viola had gone from awe, to fear, and back to awe over the course of the day. There was a moment when she and Joyce had to calm her down, after she was separated from Eliza, but it didn't take long to redirect her. She was fascinated by the men aboard the ship, while Victoria simply kept her distance. Too many men, if you ask her. Victoria observed how close some of the pirates leaned towards the girls. Once or twice, a sweaty and drunk man would slowly approach her, and she sent daggers to them with her eyes. Not a single drop of rum had touched her lips. There was going to be no way she was letting a pirate anywhere near her today, or any day.

If anything, she was curious about what they could offer her. There was a part of Victoria that enjoyed the looseness of conversation and the excitement brought on by danger but it was hard to let her walls down and enjoy it all.

Victoria sighed and turned her attention to Nell. They'd met earlier that evening, when Nell had gotten her finger tied up in her corset strings. The only time Victoria had smiled the whole day was when Nell bashfully knocked on her cabin door with one hand stuck behind her back and only half dressed.

But now, Nell stared into a glass of wine, swirling it and watching as the legs of alcohol slid down the glass. Unfortunately, the two women did not have similar opinions of pirates. Nell seemed to side with Viola in that she was truly fascinated by the dirty men. Victoria had no idea why.

There was a lull in the conversation, and all around her the pirates stopped their talking to look up. The ones leaning close to the women seemed to back away from them, like they were caught taking extra servings of dessert. Even the musicians among the pirates stopped playing. Whatever it was they were looking at, Victoria had her back to it.

She turned her body and saw what, or rather who, the pirates stopped for. Slowly descending the stairs from the secondary main deck, was a tall man. He looked disheveled, dirty, and weather worn. His inky black hair fell in wet strands in front of his eyes, but did nothing to hide the light hazel color. Underneath a linen undershirt that seemed to barely cover him up, his golden tan chest peeked through. His boots were aged and thin. Despite his poor attire and his unkempt presentation, Victoria couldn't help but feel light headed. Not only was he absolutely gorgeous, but his features were so incredibly similar to that of Charles.

Even just the thought of her abusive husband made her stomach leap. Her heart raced and she felt sick, but she stood steadfast, not letting her emotions get the better of her.

 _He's no longer my problem. I'm safe now._

Victoria took a deep breath and studied this man. He obviously held influence among the crew, otherwise there was no point in everyone stopping to watch. It wasn't hard to guess that this was the captain that she'd heard so little about.

The captain seemed to be caught off guard by the party happening on deck because he stopped after the first two steps of the stairs and took in the sight of the many women in extravagant dresses socializing with his crew. Without a word, though, he continued down, walked directly through the middle of the party to the stern of the deck, where he opened a heavy wooden door, carved with delicate designs, and locked himself in.

 _What a disappointing first impression_ , she thought. A moment later, the conversations picked back up, and the music slowly began playing. Cordelia appeared at the top of the stairs where the captain had come from. She looked upset, but not in the same fierce and strong way as before. This time, she appeared like a strong woman, dressed in jewels, who could break down into pieces at any moment. With less of a dramatic promenade than the captain, she too walked down the center of the deck and carefully opened the door and closed it behind her.

Victoria and Nell exchanged a look, before Nell shot up from her seat to go speak to the pirate that Viola was still enthralled with, Louis.

"Was that the captain?" she asked, the words spilling out of her mouth. Louis looked up at Nell, upset that she'd interrupted his conversation with Viola. He sat up, looked back at the wooden door, and then said, "Sure was."

"Where has he been?" Victoria chimed in. She was physically removed from their conversation but leaned forward, her curiosity getting the better of her anxiety.

"He's been on some mission. He's been doing a lot of that recently. We don't know much about the actual purpose behind it. Personal matters and such."

"Does he usually just lock himself in the room like that?" Victoria asked.

"Didn't use to. Maybe in the past year it's been getting more and more frequent. Everything about him has changed."

"How so?" Nell pressed.

Louis sighed, like recalling the past was difficult. "Well, he used to be more fun, first off. He would steal stuff just for the fun of it. He'd have nightly parties aboard his ship. He'd even invite governors of the ports aboard- shower them in riches just so he could have a free pass when in town. Earned a reputation. People called him 'The Pirate King' in his prime. Now? Well now he obsessed with something, but refuses to tell us about it. He and Moss will spend hours in there, only coming out to give new orders. It's changed her too. She's got a firmer hand than before, more bossy. Still good at what she does but such a shorter fuse."

Victoria mulled on this for a moment, a million questions racing through her mind. "What do you all think is going on?"

Louis rubbed his neck, thinking deeply, before leaning forward like it was a secret. "Well, we all know Captain Jonas has got some deal happening with the devil. He's mentioned it before, but never in too much detail. For as long as we've all been part of the crew, he's had these _abilities_. I think something's finally going bad with that. The strangest yet is you lot. No idea why Jonas would want a bunch of dames on the Jewel. Spells trouble for a captain because a crew will tend to focus a bit too much on things we aren't meant to be focusing on when working."

"You mentioned abilities, what abilities?" Victoria questioned Louis, becoming more and more interested in her purpose aboard the ship, and why 'The Pirate King' would have a need for so many women. The first thought in her head was some sort of ritual, maybe even involving sacrifice. The New World had a reputation of debauchery and paganism, one that Victoria had no intentions of falling victim too. She needed to know what she was up against.

Before the man could answer though, the wooden door opened, revealing Captain Jonas. He had changed out of his soiled clothes to nearly new everything. His boots were shiny black, his pants were tight fitting and free of any holes or even scuffs, and his shirt was immaculately white. It didn't seem fitting for a pirate to own such nice linens. On top of it all was a dark coat with an exaggerated collar and a red oversize tricorn hat with a white feather plume attached. He was adorned with gold jewelry from his ears to his fingers. His was dressed to be the center of attention, and he certainly was as every woman stopped to look at him. A quick sweeping gaze across the room gave him a smile, and he stuck his chin out and approached everyone. He hadn't even taken two steps forward when the door swung open again, revealing Cordelia, her face red with anger.

"Don't you dare walk away from me when I'm talking to you!" Jonas stopped, nothing but mere exasperation on his face as he turned to face Cordelia.

"Here we go again," Louis muttered under his breath. There were gasps from girls as she drew a flintlock pistol from her waistband. Every girl ducked and some shrieked in fear. There was a loud bang as she shot at Jonas' chest and then dead silence.

Victoria peered over the shoulder of Louis to see Jonas turn away from Cordelia, a blossom of bright red blood on his white shirt. Cordelia stood there, her arm still outstretched with the pistol in hand. Jonas' face grimaced in pain, and Victoria's hand shook. She thought she was safe aboard, but this crazy harlot of a woman had proved her otherwise.

 _"Cordelia!_ " Jonas shouted, breaking the ring of silence. He coughed up blood, and growled. He tore off his coat, while his shirt continued to stain red with blood. He threw the coat like a child at Cordelia's face, and she caught it and threw it to the ground.

At this point, any man would've been on their knees at least when getting shot in the chest. Instead, Jonas seemed to be fueled by anger.

No. Not anger. _Annoyance._

He pulled the shirt over his head, revealing no wounds. There was no evidence that he'd ever been shot, let alone that he'd been shot just moments ago and was bleeding out.

"You wanted to know what he could do?" Louis leaned over to Victoria. "Well that's a start."

* * *

 **Thanks to everyone for reading! I hope this wasn't information overload. I am so excited now that Jonas is in the story! This is just the tip of the iceberg!**

 **Let me know what you thought of him, and let me know if there was anything that was unclear. I'm always aiming to improve my story telling and writing.**

 **I want to hear your theories on what's going on with him and Cordelia! Or everything in general in the reviews.**

 **Also, if you submitted a girl, I'm going to send you a little questionnaire. It's very short, but I need it in order for your character to appear in the story from here on, so please don't forget to check your PMs and respond! Thanks!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8**

Joyce woke up early in the morning, light trickling its way into the heavy stale air of the cabin. It didn't take long after the excitement of last night for everyone to retreat into the decks below. There was a damn near exodus of women. As intriguing as it was to see the captain heal from a fatal wound, the fear of getting shot by a drunk woman with a gun was hanging over their heads.

It was her first night aboard the pirate ship, and she didn't sleep very well at all. It was evident that most girls were not awake yet. She was sure that most were sleeping off the alcohol still, but Joyce was awoken by her thirst. Gathering her sky blue dress from last night, she began to leave. Getting through the narrow doorway with so much fabric seemed to be a task that was just as difficult as she remembered from the night before. With a huff, she hoisted her dress high above her waist and untied the petticoat fasteners. As the large pile of fluff fell to the ground at her ankles, she fixed her silhouette, removing any strange bumps and trying her best to determine if this was appropriate.

But she was on a damn pirate ship. High fashion wasn't exactly important here, and that tended to work in her favor. Joyce traversed the levels of the ship to make it to the canteen. There, two men worked with sweat dripping down their noses.

"Pardon me?" She got their attention. "Is there maybe some tea I could have?"

The two men looked at her as if she was just one of the chickens roaming around the deck, and was clucking just a little too loudly. "No tea aboard 'cept the stuff in the captain's quarters. You're welcome to ask 'im," said the scrawny looking man.

His heavier, much heavier, mate grumbled and gave the pirate a tap on the leg, to focus him back on his work of peeling onions. Joyce couldn't tell if the advice to go to the pirate for some tea was serious or not. _But what could it hurt?_ She thought about that for a moment. She could get shot, but it seemed unlikely to bring her aboard just to shoot her. At worst, Joyce assumed she would get the captain in a bad mood, but her parched throat begged for something other than wine or rum. Water alone, as she had learned over the few months aboard the charter ship, did not keep well at sea. In order to tolerate it in the slightest, it was almost a requirement to mix it with something to cover the taste.

Joyce climbed the four flights of stairs to the main deck, where the wooden door from yesterday stood closed. She was about to knock when she hear the sound of women's voices behind her. Joyce withheld her knock, looking to see two women, both of whom she met last night joined at the arms and discussing something in great depth.

"Stella. Olimpia. Glad to see I'm not the only one awake."

Both women snapped their attention to Joyce. "Joyce. Did you just speak to the captain?" Stella asked.

"No, I was actually just going to ask for a sliver of tea. I was headed in there now."

The two girls exchanged glances. "Well, let's join you then." Stella said. The three girls stood in front of the looming door. It was at least two heads taller than Joyce, even when her hair was styled, which it currently wasn't. They all waited in the early morning sun for a heavy moment before Joyce finally bit down on her lip and knocked firmly. She hoped the other two girls couldn't hear her heart pounding with nerves.

A muffled voice called from within. "Yes?"

Joyce put her hand on the gold doorknob, and turned it slowly. Once the door was cracked open you could feel the cooler air and the scent of smoke hung in the air. It was too dark to see inside with the sun over head, so Joyce apprehensively stuck her head inside.

"Oh," Joyce heard a man say. Directly in front of her sat the captain at his desk. His face looked like he hadn't expected to see three women waiting behind the door. He stood in his surprise. "I thought you were Harry, my cook." There was another moment, where Joyce, Stella, and Olimpia said nothing. Captain Jonas stood there, unsure what to say to the three of them. "Uhm," he stammered, "Come in. What can I do for you?" He looked frantically at the clutter on his desk.

Joyce entered first. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, she was taken aback by not only the size, but the amount of belongings he owned. Every shelf held a wide array of precious jewels and artifacts. There were floor-to-ceiling paintings of battles on the walls, multiple persian rugs overlapping each other on the floor, and ornate crown moulding above a carved marble fireplace that was currently doused. On the opposite the side of the room, there was a canopy bed, with sheer fabric draping over a mound of blankets and furs. Jonas stood in front of an enormous black armchair, with carvings of skulls and rams horns. The entire room was made even more dark by the heavy black curtains that hung on the back wall, presumably over windows, blocking all light.

The entire room seemed fitting for a king or the devil, and from what Joyce understood, Captain Jonas was both. It was no surprise that the three women stood there in shock, taking in the surroundings. Olimpia even inched her way behind Stella, to hide herself from view.

"I…" Joyce started to say, but her voice cracked. She cleared her throat and with more resolve said, "I personally came to ask if there was a way I could make some tea this morning?"

Jonas, seeing the shock on the girls' faces at his choice of decor, came around from the desk. "Of course. I have some here you could have." He travelled to the shelving near the fireplace and opened a small crate. Inside were maybe 20 bricks of tea, each of which could supply nearly a year of daily tea kettles. Jonas took one out, and gave it to Joyce.

"Oh," Joyce started to say, "I really didn't need _this_ much tea."

"Yes, but there are a lot of you. Share it amongst yourselves. Give the rest to the crew if you wish, though I doubt they'd have much use for it. Their tastes are a bit stronger."

Joyce took the hefty tea brick in her hands. She was inspecting it thoroughly, but it just appeared to be an unassuming East India Trading Company brick.

"Captain Jonas, I'm afraid, we didn't come to request tea. We were hoping to get some insight, on various things." Stella still stood in front of Olimpia still, but her resolve was stronger. Her chin stuck out straight and she held her shoulder back. Jonas was caught off guard, still sliding the crate lid back into place when she spoke up.

"Oh," was all Jonas said.

Stella seemed frustrated by his lack of response, but took it as an invitation to elaborate. "You see, I'm a trained apothecary, and Olimpia here is as well." Stella left out the fact that Olimpia was still training under her parents' guidance, because she felt it would help their credibility. "I'm sure you didn't intend to get, uh, shot last night. However, it was almost impossible to miss the fact that you had no wounds. Is this by some medicinal herb? Perhaps a daily supplement?"

Jonas, glanced around his quarters, seemingly searching for the words that refused to come. There was so much to say, and even he still had more questions than answers concerning his... _arrangement_.

There was a slight ruffle of fabric behind them, coming from the bed. From under the duvet came a sweaty mop of bright red hair and a light snore. Jonas noticed Cordelia starting to rouse in the bed first, and a grimace appeared on his face, as if he didn't want to wake her yet.

"Stella," he said, surprising her. She hadn't introduced herself yet. "Joyce, Olimpia. It still fairly early in the day. Why don't you all join me in one of our sitting rooms? I'd intended the largest one on deck five to be for you all to use during the day anyway. We can make your tea there, Joyce."

Without an answer from any of the three girls, he led them out the door. He held it open for them, and they followed like obedient ducklings down to the fifth deck.

They'd gotten to the sitting room, and he unlocked the door with a large set of keys. The theme of the room seemed to be the color yellow, because every piece of fabric displayed the vibrant hue. Large sitting stools dotted the room, and a plush couch sat in the center. The room was stocked with china and various tools for daily living and convenience. He took a seat, seeming misplaced in such a cheery and bright room with his black hair and overall dark aura. Joyce noticed in the back there was another, much smaller fireplace. She wondered where the chimneys for the multiple fireplaces were leading to, as she couldn't recall seeing any smoke yesterday. Or rather, any smoke that wasn't related to the destruction of the charter ship. She pulled away from the rest of them and went to start the kettle over the stove.

Jonas sat on one of the cushions and invited Stella and Olimpia over with a wave of his hand. They sat adjacent to him.

"Before you begin asking your questions, I'd like to make a couple things clear. I cannot tell you everything. There are certain things that everyone aboard this ship would be safer not knowing about. Tell me where you'd like to start, and let's go from there."

"Well," Stella began, "I would like to know how you healed yourself like that."

"I've been able to heal myself since I was a young boy- since I became a pirate."

"How'd you do it?"

Jonas seemed unsure how to answer. "I don't really know. I don't have control of it if that's what you're wondering. I just… heal. There's not much to it.

"But is it something we can duplicate? Could this be the cure to all ailments, for example."

Jonas chucked, "No, I don't think anyone else could gain this ability, nor would they want to. It comes with some steep consequences."

This time, Olimpia was the one who spoke up. "If only you can do it, can you heal others?"

"No."

"Have you tried?" Olimpia pushed.

"Yes." Jonas said, his voice becoming more stern, as if it brought up bad memories.

There was a brief pause in the conversation. The one who broke it was Joyce, bringing a small serving tray with four cups of tea on it. Joyce felt strange and shaky carrying the tray, as she'd never carried one before. Every time she'd entertained her friends in London, her house maids would serve them.

"Can you only heal?" Stella began the interrogation once again. Joyce and Olimpia both took a cup from the tray, while Stella was focused on studying Jonas' every movement and answer.

Jonas seemed reluctant to give away this information, but he must've decided against withholding it. "No, but I'm not sure how to describe the rest."

"Could you try your best?"

"Very well then," he began, "I guess I also have the ability to understand what people think. Not exactly the words, but more so the intentions behind it. If you wanted me to guess that your neighbor was a murderer, I would really only be able to understand that he was a bad person, or good depending on how you perceive him. Names are pretty much the only ' _words_ ' that come to mind. This particular ability is actually not as strong as you may think. I can't rely on it as faithfully as my healing."

"So that explains how you knew my name, before I'd said it," Stella said, mostly to herself.

Jonas nodded.

"Then how did you get these abilities?"

"That-" he began, "That is something I can't tell you." His eyes seemed to dart over to the wall next to the door. Only Olimpia noticed this, but when she looked over she saw nothing.

"What about these consequences you mentioned?" Stella kept pushing.

It was obvious Jonas was getting uncomfortable with the interview. His eyes darted around the room, and his breath quickened. "I'm sorry ladies. Please feel free to enjoy your tea, but I must return to my quarters for now." His words fell from his mouth quickly, and he worried they would ask for more answers but they didn't. He stood, keeping his head down, and left the sitting room. The three girls stood there in slightly stunned silence. Joyce found a spot on the floor to stare at, while she sipped her tea. She was quite happy not getting involved in this drama the captain was wrapped up in. Instead, after a moment of stunned silence, Stella and Olimpia began tittering away with theories on how to harness his healing ability and techniques he may not have tried yet when using it.

The door to the sitting room opened just a crack, and a mop of brown hair peered into the room. Brett saw the three girls sitting in the lemon colored room, and opened the door wide. "Hey, I didn't know we could be in here," she said, admiring the unusual decor. "Pretty sure I just saw the captain come from here, too."

Behind her three more girls appeared in the doorway, curiosity coating their expressions as they too admired the plush sitting room.

* * *

 **Thanks everyone for their patience waiting for this chapter to come out. I'm on Christmas break for all of December. Almost all day I'm with my family visiting them, and it's pretty hard to find time where I'm just sitting to write.**

 **I've found a routine though, so hopefully you won't have to wait as long this next time around. Also, I think the coming chapters will probably be mostly in the POV of Cordelia or Jonas (most likely Jonas) as the story develops the plot.**

 **Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing! If you have any ideas for your characters you'd like me to implement, please PM me! I've gotten a couple of fun ideas planned but I love seeing what everyone comes up with. This includes Pinterest! I love seeing all the aesthetics!**

 **Also, if you guys are interested and haven't already seen our Discord chat, feel free to join! It's a very welcoming server, and we talk about almost everything. Here's the link (remove the spaces):** discord. gg/ bfY5mmT

 **Till next chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9**

Jonas hastened his walk, more girls were starting to awake from their cabins and he couldn't tell who was real and who wasn't anymore. His head was spinning by the time he got to his quarters. He sat on the other side of the closed door, his head between his hands and his eyes shut as tight as he could.

 _Why did you do this to me?_ The voices echoed and overlapped.

 _I was going to be married._

 _What will my mother think?_

 _Have you no heart?_

 _I didn't want to die._

 _I DIDN'T WANT TO DIE!_

 ** _I DIDN'T WANT TO DIE!_**

The screams of the souls pierced his ears. He didn't even realized he'd been screaming for them to stop.

 _"Jonas!"_ Cordelia shouted. She was holding his hands tightly, trying to pull them away from his ears. He was shaking. When she saw his eyes look at hers, she pulled him close. "It's okay. It's me. I'm real. I'm real," she cooed.

All around him there were images of sailors, young and old, mixed with images of women and children. They slowly faded from view, their faces emotionless and hollow.

"How many?" Cordelia asked once he stopped shaking.

"Nearly twenty."

They sat there, holding each other until Cordelia began to stand. She pulled him up. Jonas steadied his racing heart, and went to go sit at his desk.

He began sorting the books on his desk into piles. He'd read every single one three times over. Cordelia pulled a small stool over to the front of the desk and helped him.

"Can we talk about last night now?" she asked.

Jonas didn't take his eyes off his books, "Do we have to?"

"Jonas. It's getting worse. I just woke up to you screaming by the door. If you don't tell me what you found out, I'm going to shoot you again."

Her threat did it's purpose as he felt a pang in his chest; the nerves remembering the hole the bullet ripped through him. "He didn't have any answers."

"How could he not have any answers?" Cordelia asked. The man that Jonas had gone off ship to visit was a shaman. Their crew member, Wes, had suggested it. He told them that his old master had sent the man to jail for practicing paganism. It was worth a shot, one where Jonas had to get himself purposely arrested to speak to the man.

"He just didn't Cordelia. He said that there was nothing he could do about it. So, now we're right back to the start." Jonas's voice got low with frustration.

Cordelia's frustrations matched Jonas's, however. "That's great," she said, her voice dripping in sarcasm, "Really. At least now I've got all these girls on board. Now we can get to work on these damn near impossible tasks you need to complete."

"Cordelia, this is why I didn't want to talk about it-" she cut him off with her hand.

"You're right, because you know me. I just _love_ putting your pieces together after every breakdown."

Jonas knew better than to fight with her. She'd been there when it all started; when he first started seeing the souls.

He didn't know if they were hallucinations or apparitions until one day they actually reached out and grabbed him. Since then, he'd been looking for a way out. He'd seen nearly every religious practitioner he knew of. Rabbis, priests, bishops, shamans, gurus, monks. You name it, he's met with one. He had nearly every holy book on his wall, and read each one over and over again, trying to find examples of his torture, but none held the answer.

On top of it all, it didn't help that Daemon so casually watched him when the souls appeared. Between the bodies, he could always see Daemon Stygian's twisted grin, watching him suffer.

Even now, while he and Cordelia fought over their next move, he half expected to see Daemon appear, just to revel in the conflict.

"Cordelia, you're right. We can work on this some more. We can begin the Selection I planned. Just, please, don't give up on me." His voice was breaking, the stress from everything finally reaching a tipping point.

Cordelia's expression softened. "Sorry, you know I get carried away sometimes, but I'd never leave you alone like that." She stood and pushed the books to the side. "You need sleep. Go to bed, I'll start the girls off with one of the challenges."

He stood as well, heading to his mountain of duvets. "Cordelia," he said, "be nicer to them, too. I can feel the fear on some of them. They aren't pirates in need of a leader."

Cordelia recalled her own youth. She smiled at the thought of her own innocence and how incredulously naive she was. "Psh, sink or swim. We only need the ones who swim anyway," she joked, as Jonas fell swiftly asleep when he hit the mattress.

* * *

The sun was still low in the morning sky, but the heat was beginning to build. It was going to be another scorching Caribbean day. Before she'd gone out on deck she'd changed clothes into something more breathable. She simply wore a loose fitting linen undershirt, cropped trousers, her first mate's hat, and went barefoot, seeing as the easiest way to climb the ropes was to be barefoot.

"Iggy," she stopped a crewman in his work.

"Yes, Moss," he presented himself, albeit slightly apprehensive.

Cordelia flourished the action of looking around the deck. "Who've you got working the ropes with you today?"

"M'self, Potts, Flinn, Edgar, and Georgie."

"Right, and what would you say the hardest job above deck would be?"

"Wonderful. I'd like you all to tie the the sails back up then, if you will."

Iggy looked confused, "Moss, that was nearly an hour of work, and will be another hour to put 'em back up. It also a sunny day which would most usually present either you or the Captain with the order to let the sails down, like they are." Iggy's speech was littered with improper grammar, as he tried to impress Cordelia.

"Ah, right you are, Iggy. Unfortunately, we have some guests on board who need to be learning the ropes. I figured today would be a clear day to do so." Her voice became low and held a warning, "That is, Iggy, unless you think you know better?"

Iggy stood up straighter and gathered up the rigging in his arms. "Not at all, Moss. Let me inform the boys of that right away." He ran off, climbing the ropes like a spider-monkey, rushing to get the sails down. Cordelia bet that it wouldn't even be half the time Iggy quoted her, judging by the pace he was prompting the others to work.

Cordelia fixed her hat, and went down to the cabins. At the end of the hall, she saw the door to the Yellow Room wide open. _So that's where they hide._

She marched over to it, presenting her face for the room to see. She did a headcount to find that all but two women were in that room. "Ladies," she said.

The small talk stopped and all eyes fell on Cordelia.

"Welcome to your first full day aboard the Jewel of Hades. I'd like you all to follow me." Cordelia turned to leave, and didn't hear a single ruffle of fabric behind her. Again she turned to face the group of women. "Now. That was an order." As if snapping back to reality, the sixteen women in the room got up and filed into a line down the narrow hallway behind Cordelia.

When they got on the top deck, Cordelia turned to the girl nearest and asked, "Where are the other two?"

The blonde looked frightened and could only muster out a couple of choked 'uhm's before a girl in the back spoke up.

"They're already here, Moss!" Cordelia turned to the voice, and saw them pointing up at the rigging. The Asian girl, the one who had foregone the dress at last night's party, was up on the rigging, helping the five crew members tie up the sails. Above that, in the crows nest she saw two figures, one undoubtedly the other missing girl.

"Right," Moss muttered under her breath. "You there! What is your name?" she asked of the girl helping.

Iggy nudged the woman, getting her attention, and repeated Cordelia's question to her.

"Florence Alberta de Capitani."

"Right then, Florence. It's nice to see you know what you're doing, but I didn't bring you aboard the Jewel to help my men do _their own_ jobs." Florence gave a curt nod, and looped her foot in a line, gently lowering herself to the deck.

"And Mouse!" she called up to the crow's nest.

"Aye, Moss?"

"Who've you got up there with you?"

"The new hand you've brought aboard, Rob!"

Cordelia sighed, and wiped away the sweat on her brow. "Mouse! I didn't bring on any new hands, not any boys at least. Send that one down!"

There was a moment, where you could hear the two in the crow's nest talking but the words were lost to the wind. The other figure copied Florence's foot loop, and used a single rope to glide all the way down.

Cordelia momentarily had to remember this one. This one that tried to hide in the group of sailors on the charter ship. It was true, she looked boyish, but you could see feminine features in her eyes and jaw. It was clear that the girl was used to taking on a boy's alias.

"Your name? The real one?"

"Robin."

Cordelia saw the embarrassment and contempt in the girl's eyes. "Robin, why don't you join the other's here. You'll have an opportunity to learn the crow's nest later," Cordelia said just loud enough to have only Robin hear it.

"Now that we all are present, I'd like to introduce you to this Selection more in depth. The captain sends his regards this morning, and has asked me to orient all of you. You see, you all will be taught how to be a pirate on the Jewel of Hades for this next week. You all will learn the rigging, ropes, cannons, and even how to work the kitchens below. At the end of this week, you should know this ship inside and out. After that I will have a second challenge for you. I'd suggest you all learn your jobs well." Cordelia didn't want to outright threaten the girls, especially since Jonas hadn't yet decided what he would do with the ones that failed, but she needed some incentive to prevent insubordination.

"Lovely," she said, and turned to see the five men sitting on top of the Jacob's ladder, waiting for their orders as well. "Men come down here and meet your new pupils." They flopped lazily to the floor, and came to Cordelia's side.

"Ladies, I need ten of you willing to work the ropes." Hesitantly, six hands rose into the air. Cordelia gestured for them to come forward and then picked out four more at random. "Pair up, and go with one of my men. Iggy," she said and he turned at attention, "You're in charge while I'm gone, keep a careful watch on these ladies. Just the basics today. I would rather not fish them out of the ocean this morning."

"Aye, Moss."

"The rest of you, follow me."

She led them down to the kitchens, dropping off two more girls with her two cooks. The rest traversed down to the eighth deck, where the cannons were. "We aren't in battle right now, so we only have three men active down here. If we were attacking, each of these cannons would be manned." Cordelia waved over the three men playing cards in the far corner.

"Men, I have six girls here who need to learn how to fire a cannon properly. We are out in open water, so feel free to fire at will. Two with each of you." The girls acquainted themselves with the pirate they'd been matched with, and her crew members immediately began teaching them the basics of how to handle a cannonball without blowing one of your hands off.

Cordelia sighed to herself as she climbed all eight flights of stairs. All the girls were learning their roles, and she didn't have to herd them like cats anymore. Back on the main deck, she went to check on Jonas in his quarters. He was still fast asleep, and she left him like that. She hoped he was exhausted enough to sleep through the cannon fire but she doubted it.

She watched as her five men taught the girls how to properly loop their feet in a rope. It was entertaining to see shoes strewn around the deck as all the girls were now barefoot. She noted that Florence and Robin had paired up, and were with Edgar. Florence and Edgar sat against the railing, talking casually as they watched the remaining eight girls struggle with the coarse and heavy rope. Robin sat behind the Jacob's ladder, each leg through one hole, looking bored out of her mind.

"Edgar," Cordelia called out. "You can move onto more advanced topics for those two if you wish."

"Aye, Moss!" he called back.

He began instructing the two women to climb, each of them doing so with ease, up to the first main sail. Cordelia, satisfied with the work that was being done, retreated once again into the captain's quarters to retrieve the small ledger Jonas had written himself. It was filled with notes he'd gotten from Daemon Stygian while back in jail. She figured it be good to study that while the women worked, so she could be better prepared to know who was who.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading everybody!**

 **I'm hoping to get out a bunch of chapter to make up for last time, and also to cover my butt for the week of Christmas. Let me know what you all think! I look forward to your reviews!  
**

 **Again, if you aren't a member of our Discord, we'd love to have you! Link was in the last chapter!**

 **Till next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 10**

Cordayne held a cannon ball in her hands, praying that the sweat wouldn't make the ball slip between her fingers and drop the iron ball on her foot. Something like this didn't seem like it would weigh enough to need both her hands, yet here she was.

She was joined by five other women, each with varying degrees of strength. Some, like Lara, hoisted the ball up like it was nothing, while others like herself didn't find it so easy. Cordayne was more of a dexterous person. She'd done some thieving in her time, but it was always something like pick-pocketing and never mugging.

"You've got to shoot off a shot when your told, so it's best to have it already set up. Don't waste our time because you weren't ready. It can mean the difference between success and failure." The man instructing them, Jeremiah, had a very clean British accent. If it weren't for the gunpowder and soot on his face, she might have thought he was a respectable man if she saw in randomly on the streets of London. The three pirates had decided to teach all six women together, opting out of individual lessons. All of them sat there, holding a cannon ball in their hands to try to get a sense of how it feels.

The idea was that as soon as you shot off your first shot, you were meant to immediately begin loading another one in. Until whoever was in charge said to fire though, you held your next cannonball in arm, ready to go. It was quite efficient, but her arm was getting tired just thinking about doing this over and over again.

"We are going to fire off the first shot. It will be loud, fair warning. I'd advise not covering your ears though. In battle you won't get that opportunity." One of the other men approached the nearest cannon. The cannon, which was on wheels was pulled back out of the hole in the wall. The pirate inserted a small pack, "The gunpowder is first," Jeremiah narrated his actions for us. Then he stuck a long pole down it, to pack in the gunpowder. He then slid a cannonball down there, putting the stick in once more to see if it was down. He rolled the cannon back into place. Next to him there was a poker. He inserted the poker into a small hole in the back. He set the poker down, and on his wrist he took a small piece of what looked to be twine, but soaked in oil. "He's putting the fuse in the hole he just made." The pirate took his knife, cut a piece of fuse only three inches long and slid it into the hole. Most of it disappeared inside the cannon, leaving a small stubby tail on the cannon. Then, he picked up the poker again and flipped it on it's head. On the other side, a fuse stuck out. He leaned over to a nearby lantern and lit the end. It smoldered slowly, and just glowed with heat.

"Ladies, it's best to step away from the end of it though."

The pirate who had loaded it held the fuse up to the one he just inserted. Almost immediately, there was jolt of power. Cordayne was sure the whole ship had just rocked to the side from it. Her ears were ringing, and she dropped the cannonball to the floor, nearly missing her toes. Her hands flew up to cover her ears, well after thee sound had done it's damage. She held them more in pain than as a precaution. She didn't even realize her eyes had shut so tightly, because when she opened them, the cannon had moved back several feet.

"Holy hell!" Maia shouted, her hands had come to cover her ears as well. Maia blinked several times, looking dazed from the noise.

Jeremiah gave a half smile out of sympathy. "I know, it's quite loud. You'll get used to it, I promise."

"You mean we'll wind up with no hearing at all, as a result." Zephora complained.

Cordayne noticed Charlie was the only one still gripping her cannonball. She looked unfazed by the noise.

"Can I try?" Charlie asked Jeremiah. He looked confused and skeptical.

"If you'd like to go first I can show you-"

"No," she cut him off, "I think I got it." She approached the cannon, taking a charge pack from the crate near the wall and put it in. With one hand she held onto the cannonball, and with the other she packed the charge down, and then seamlessly did the same with the ball. She copied every step with ease, looking comfortable with the large machinery. When it came time to light her poker fuse, the five other girls instinctually held their hands up to their ears. With another bone-rattling boom the next cannonball had been fired. Charlie held the poker in one hand and her other hand rested on her hip. Her hands were now sufficiently covered in black soot, but she seemed satisfied with herself.

Jeremiah looked more impressed than the rest of the girls. "Well done, Miss…?"

"Charlotte. You can call me Charlie."

"Miss Charlie." Jeremiah looked wide eyed, but quickly distracted himself with assigning each of the girls left a cannon of their own. "Well then, we'll walk through step by step until you all are comfortable with it."

"What if I'm comfortable not doing this at all?" Zephora spoke up, poker in hand. She was still dressed quite nicely, her dress not showing signs of much wear and tear. That was going to change working down here.

Jeremiah looked blankly up at the lantern, like he was trying to suppress choice words. "Dearie, I didn't choose to have you all aboard. I didn't ask to have you guys interrupt our day. Jonas and Moss did, and I'm going to do what they ask me to. They put the roof over my head and food on my plate, and I'm not going to risk that because you didn't have this in mind when you put your hair up this morning." Jeremiah showed no signs of being angry, rather he spoke like he was making a blanket statement to the whole room.

The message was clear: _None of us were too happy, right now._

Except for maybe Charlie, who was trying to hide a grin, and failing.

Over in the corner, Brett noticed Charlie turning her face away. "Look, it can't be that hard. Just needs some practice," Brett said, looking out of place with multiple rings on her hand and a heavy looking crystal necklace on her collar. It seemed she had taken a liking to the complimentary spoils of the Jewel of Hades.

Everyone looked in concern as Brett rolled the bracelets up her arms like sleeves, and attempted to follow the procedure. She fumbled with the cannonball and poker in each hand. There was a thud as she dropped the cannonball. Lara leaned over to help her pick it up as it started to roll away, but Brett shouted "Nope! I can do this!" and chased after it. Lara rolled her eyes and scooped it up as it rolled past her.

"Do us all a favor and stop," Lara said in a cold and uncaring tone.

Brett shot a glare to her, but didn't respond. Instead she just stood up straight, arching her back and sticking her chin out.

"Ladies," Jeremiah warned. There was a moment, and Jeremiah sighed. "Everybody hold onto one cannonball and one charge." There was shuffling as every lady did as they were told. Jeremiah took a deep breath and resumed his lesson.

* * *

Above deck, Connie was catching on quickly. She was used to working with her hands and pulling things like plows anyway, so pulling knots tight against the sails wasn't too difficult.

What she did worry about was that when they took these knots up 50 feet and practice making them while balancing on a rope. She and Umakoti had been paired up. Umakoti was quiet, listening to what their instructing pirate was telling them, and keeping her head low. They were both quick learners, being able to practice their knots several times before the noble ladies near them had even figured it out for the first time.

Not to say that they weren't smart, but Connie and Umakoti had worker's hands. They were used to the bite of rope fibers and had learned to hear an instruction once and get it done right. It was a skill they unfortunately were forced to adapt to.

"You girls look ready, time to head up the ropes," Potts said. Connie's heart started to beat faster at the idea of heights, but she hid her fear. She'd been through worse. Umakoti, stoic as ever stood up from the deck, letting the piece of rope she'd been practicing with fall to her feet. Potts took hold of the netting. He referred to it as a Jacob's ladder, and hoisted himself up. He made it look easy really. Luckily it was attached to the deck floor so Connie put on foot on the lowest rung and put her weight on it. The pirates were right, this seemed nearly impossible to do with shoes on, as Connie's foot gripped as best it could onto the weathered ropes. Umakoti did the same, steadying herself within arms reach.

Connie gripped the ropes above her head, and put her other foot on the next rung, leaving the comfort of the deck floor behind. She gasped as the ropes shifted under her weight, and she reached out to grab Umakoti's shoulder who still had one foot on the ground.

Umakoti immediately winced from the touch, even though Connie had put barely any weight on her. Connie retracted her touch, and muttered a quiet apology. The girls had been housed together on the charter, but Umakoti hadn't really taken a liking to her, and it didn't seem like that would change now.

"Alright, so put your bottom out and bring your feet up before you reach with your hands," Potts called down. He was hanging five feet above them, one arm holding him up and the other pointing down at the two girls.

Connie felt the shift in weight as Umakoti brought her other foot up. The ropes shook as the girls had trouble balancing. After a moment, they found their sweet spot.

"Right, now, you both just hold on. I'm going to shake the ropes a bit. Try to keep your balance!"

The girls couldn't see it, but Potts grinned as he jumped up and down, sending waves down the ropes below. They leaned their whole bodies into the ladder, practically laid on it as they struggled to stay holding on. Connie let out a grunt, and her knuckles turned white around the rope. She heard Umakoti breathe in deeper. She saw how tightly Umakoti's eyes were shut, as she waited for Potts to stop.

After a moment, it did. "There!" Potts called down, "Not so bad, right?"

Connie suppressed the urge to say a few choice words up at the pirate, and instead responded with a low, "Right."

"Good, now take two steps up."

Umakoti immediately climbed the ladder, legs shaking as she tried to keep her balance. Connie followed, and her stomach leapt into her throat as the second step brought her whole body above the height of the railing.

Potts said nothing as he climbed up to where a bundle of ropes hung, swinging in the breeze. His steps shook their footing. Their breaths were shaky, as each girl stared intently up at him. He pulled loose two ropes, letting them fall within arms reach of the girls.

"Now reach out and grab one, each of you."

Neither girl did anything. Connie stared at the rope nearest her, just three or four feet away, and attempted to loosen her grip, but the ladder shifted with every movement. Finally, she forced herself to reach out. As she did, the ladder swayed with her weight, and she barely had the rope in hand as she brought it to her chest and let out a sigh of relief.

Umakoti did the same, nervously reaching for the rope and carefully bringing it back to her.

"Now make that knot!" Potts called down. Connie held her hands close to her chest, gripping the rope. With the smallest movements she could muster, she looped the ropes in the slipknot. It took three times as long, because she stopped to steady her weight every two seconds, but she did it. Umakoti had finished before her, and Potts pulled both the ropes up to inspect.

"Nice job!" He said, turning the knots in his hand to check them.

Connie noticed that most of the ladies aboard the deck weren't looking at their ropes, and instead sneaking glances over to Connie and Umakoti.

"Can we get down now?" Connie called up to Potts, her voice shaking like her grip.

Potts muttered some indistinct approval, and Connie immediately let go, jumping to the deck. She left out a full breath. Umakoti sucked in a deep breath as she landed, and her hand flew to her ankle.

"You alright?" Connie asked, reaching to look at Umakoti's ankle, but she pulled away.

"I am fine," she said, her accent thick and deep.

Cordelia seemed to have noticed, and began walking towards them. "Are you?" she asked skeptically. Umakoti turned away from Cordelia, not wanting to be noticed. "Right then." Cordelia let out an exasperated sigh as she squatted down to our level. "What's your name again?" Umakoti was silent.

Cordelia raised her eyebrows, like she was getting impatient.

"Her name's Umakoti," Connie answered.

"Umakoti." Cordelia tested her name out, "That's a nice name. I like names I can say quick though. Can I call you Uma?" Again, there was silence from Umakoti. Cordelia seemed to take that as an answer, though. "Well, Uma, you have a choice. I can send you to see Doc, our resident physician, or you can walk on a hurt leg for the rest of the day."

"I am fine," Uma repeated.

Cordelia's eyes went from Umakoti to her ankle before standing back up. "Alright. That's fine by me. If you're fine then you can climb those ropes then, no problem?"

Uma sighed, pulling herself up. She looked Cordelia in the eyes and then walked past her back to the Jacob's ladder. She walked like she was trying to hide a limp. With her good foot, she put her weight on the first rung. After a moment she hoisted herself up, and began climbing. Ten steps up, Uma turned back to face those of us on the deck. "I am fine," she said with conviction.

"Proved me wrong," Cordelia said, behind a wide smile.

Cordelia turned to walk back up the helm, where she observed them from afar, but not before looking at Connie and saying with a grin, "I like that one."

She passed the group of ladies still working on the ropes. "You all start climbing too. I don't want to see anybody on the ground," she said firmly, but Connie noticed the turn of Cordelia's lips, like she was enjoying herself.

"How did _we_ get in trouble from that?" One of the other girls, Caroline, asked her partner. Stella smiled at Caroline and shrugged.

Connie led the group in climbing up the ladder. It shook as one by one each novice found their balance and they climbed as a group reaching Umakoti's height.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading everyone! This chapter was turning out to be a bit long, so I split it into two parts.**

 **I'll try to have the next bit out in a couple days. In the meantime, I hope you liked this one. I'd love to hear what you think your girl would be best at (cannons, ropes, or kitchens, though only two girls stay in the kitchens. Just fyi!) and tell me what you thought of everybody. I hope it wasn't confusing. I'm trying to get better at integrating multiple people in a setting all talking together. I still picture people in their own little bubbles of interaction, but trying to get better!**

 **I hope you enjoyed it, and please review what you thought and if you think there were places I could improve!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 11**

It was late in the day and the sun was beginning to turn the sky a magnificent orange color.

Captain Jonas had come out from his cabin a little over an hour ago, dressed plainly. He sat at the bow, watching the sun set with Cordelia next to him. She was talking to him, and he would respond occasionally, but he didn't take his eyes off the sky. He looked deep in thought as the sun slowly set.

Celandine was lost in thought as well, watching how the sea breeze pushed his hair past his face. She was perched on the ropes, giving her a good view of him. The ten girls had become quite comfortable balancing on the net. Everyone with a dress on had tied it up between their legs, creating makeshift baggy pants that came above the knee. Several women felt uncomfortable about showing that much of their legs, but after attempting to climb and just getting stuck in the fabric.

"Viola," a voice called. Celandine didn't turn around, still watching the captain.

"Viola," it called again. There was a tap on her shoulder. Celandine turned around to see Joyce looking at her. "What's with you?" Joyce asked.

"What do you mean?" Celandine asked.

Joyce looked incredulously at Celandine. "You don't ever respond to me when I call your name. What's with that?"

Celandine felt her ears get hot, and she looked away bashfully. "I just get lost in my head sometimes."

"Even back on the boat your chaperone would call you the wrong thing. I think you're hiding something from me." Joyce wiped the sweat off her brow, while her other hand gripped the rope above her.

Celandine weighed her options and realized that her family would probably assume she died at sea, if they cared at all. There was no point in going by an alias any longer. "Viola's not my real name," she said and let out a deep sigh of relief.

Joyce scoffed, but her lip turned up into a smile anyway. "I know." Celandine's face must've revealed her surprise, because Joyce let out a carefree laugh. "I've been waiting for you to tell me on your own for a month now. You're not exactly the best at lying, and Eliza wasn't exactly the best at playing along, _Cela_." Joyce raised her eyebrows and smirked when she called Celandine out.

With a wide grin, Celandine nodded, remembering all the times that Eliza would call her by her nickname. "I guess you're right." There was a pang of sadness in Celandine, as she tried to think about what Eliza was going through right now. Eliza had no money- a refugee of a pirate attack. Celandine felt guilty for bringing Eliza all this way just to be separated in the final days of their trip.

"Well anyway, _Cela_ ," Joyce said, testing her name out, "You've got to help me. I'm going to try walking across the mast. I'll be holding onto the rope in case I fall, so you have to counterweight the other side."

Celandine nodded, and the two of them climbed up to the lowest mast. Joyce gripped the end of a rope while Celandine held the other side. The rope came down from above, connected to a pulley that would hopefully catch most of her weight if she fell. Joyce was most worried about holding on tight enough if she did slip. She didn't trust her grip and had just started to trust her balance.

Celandine held the rope tight, intertwining her legs into the Jacob's ladder so she wouldn't be pulled off of it, should Joyce slip. Joyce walked across, holding her arms out to the sides.

Her grin once she reached the other side was blinding. Pride in her ability was evident in how she stood up straighter and waved Celandine over. Joyce lowered herself onto the opposite Jacob's ladder, hooking her legs in like Celandine had done.

Motion for motion, she followed Joyce. Her confidence grew with each step and so did her smile.

"This isn't too bad, either!" she called. That confidence was lost in a moment, though. The ship was hit with a gust of wind. In trying stay upright, Celandine took a step back and slipped. Her torso hit the mast with a thud, and she used her nails to try and grip the wood. " _Joyce_!" Celandine shrieked. The pain of having splinters of wood forced into her nail bed forced her grip loose. Her arm was forced upward as Joyce tried to pull her back up, but it just offset her grip again. There was a feeling of weightlessness and Celandine's breath left her chest. Pain shot through her arm. Her eyes looked up to see her wrist tangled in her safety rope. She was left hanging, swinging wildly. Her fingers tightened their grip and she tried to ignore the agony in her shoulder.

"Cela! Help!" Joyce's voice traveled to her but all she could focus on was her slipping grip. With her other hand, she held onto the rope by her body, and she wrapped her legs around it in an attempt to pull herself back up but her legs just flailed around the loose rope wildly.

She felt like she was falling, but as she looked around, she saw that it was controlled. In just a few seconds, she was on the deck. There was the sound of running steps all converging on her as she laid there, trying not to cry from the pain.

"What happened?!" Cordelia's strong voice broke through the chaos. Celandine was worried that Joyce was going to get in trouble, until she saw through blurry tears that Cordelia was shouting at their instructor, Georgie.

He spat out a couple of broken excuses, before Cordelia dismissed him, furious. There was a touch at Celandine's shoulder, and she flinched away.

"It's okay, let me take a look." Jonas was kneeling at her side, gingerly lifting her shoulder. He lifted his eyes from her arm to look at her face. "You're not going to like this, love." he said. He leaned close to her, his face only inches from her own. She could smell the spices coming off of his skin mixing with sweat. She was caught staring at his neck, which was hovering over her. One hand wrapped under her hurt arm and the other went over her, supporting her torso from under her.

Then suddenly blinding pain, and she screamed out. He sat back up, leaving her to grip her shoulder. "What was that all about?!" she scolded him.

"Your arm had come out of its socket. I had to push it back in, love." Celandine narrowed her eyes at him, but silently thanked him. The pain was already starting to disappear.

"Cela!" Joyce ran up to her, apparently just now being able to come down from the Jacob's ladder. "I'm so sorry! I tried to catch you, I-" Joyce was caught off by Cordelia stepping forward and holding her hand up.

"Joyce, you did everything right that you knew to do. Good job." Joyce's gaze flew back and forth from Cordelia, to Jonas, and back to Celandine.

"Thanks." Her voice was small and her eyes gave away her shock.

Jonas helped Celandine up from the floor. "That's probably enough for today anyway," he said. His hand was so warm on her back as he led her back to the group of women. "Ladies, dinner will be served at sundown. You're free to wait for it in the mess hall or in the sitting room below deck."

Joyce immediately hooked arms with Cela, on her good side, pulling her away from Jonas.

Joyce led part of the ropes class back down below deck to the Yellow Room. She noticed the same two women who were missing earlier still opted out of following the girls. She especially noticed how Robin was hanging off the same mast Celandine had fallen off of, gathering the rope in her arms.

In the room, they saw a group of six girls, covered in black ash.

"What in the-" Stella started to say when she saw the mess.

"Don't!" Zephora held a black stained finger up, her face contorted in annoyance. "I've not had a good day."

Charlie sat next to Lara, the two significantly more dirty than the others. "I rather enjoyed myself," Charlie said, flashing a toothy grin.

There was some commotion as the two groups of girls collided, telling their favorite and least favorite parts of the day. Stories began swapping at light speed, as sounds of joy and frustration could be heard from down to the opposite end of the hallway, where Zylphia and Olimpia approached. They entered the bright yellow room, alive with candlelight and excitement.

Olimpia bit her lip as most eyes in the room turned to her and Zylphia. Olimpia waited for Zylphia to speak, but she was more introverted than Olimpia was. "Dinner is ready in the mess hall," she said, barely above a whisper. Her urge to hide in the background was shattered as a crowd of hungry women pushed forward to the door. Olimpia and Zylphia led the group to the food they'd made with the ship's cooks, trying not to get run over by a stampede in the process.

They walked into the long plain room, and were presented with platters of food. Excited chatter filled the room as each girl found a seat. Olimpia and Zylphia did the same, appreciating their work.

They kept it to themselves that the reason there was so much food was because if they didn't use it all, most of it was going to go bad. Those were the consequences of cooking on a pirate ship that rarely made port. The meals to come weren't going to have nearly as much flavor, but there was no sense in telling that to them. Best to let everyone enjoy their feast.

Zylphia smiled to herself, absentmindedly popping the knuckles in her crooked hand. She was proud of herself and Olimpia for cooking for everybody. She could tell this was a welcome feast after a long day of hard work.

Several pirates entered the mess hall as well with Florence and Robin on their heels. There was plenty of room, and more than enough food to feed everybody. The two girls had learned how to portion ingredients to feed the numerous crew members, all of which were hungry men. It surprised Zylphia to see the Captain and Cordelia enter and sit at the end of the table. Cordelia immediately struck up a conversation with a member of the crew, while Jonas looked around at the gathering. His eyes landed on Zylphia, who was staring. Her head snapped down and she focused on the number of birds sewn into the fabric of her dress. She took a risk by glancing back up at him, but saw that his gaze had moved on, probably onto one of the few women covered in soot.

Mid-way through the meal Jonas stood with a chalice of wine in his hand. The cacophony of sound fell silent. "Join me," he started, "in thanking these two ladies who helped prepare this decadent feast." There were grunts and shouts of approval from the pirates, followed by silence once again. "I'd like to officially welcome everybody, albeit slightly later than I intended, to what I've creatively dubbed The Selection!" More sounds of approval came from the pirates, but the women of the table glanced around in confusion. "As pirates there's nothing we love more than a bit of friendly competition, eh mates?" Jonas was riling up his men more than his guests, it seemed. "So it's a competition of just that, becoming pirates! I hope to find my successor among you lovely group of ladies. Whomever is the strongest, most valiant, and most clever of you all will inherit my riches. Well, most of my riches. I'll be taking a small finder's fee." There was a low rumble of chuckles among the crew as Jonas laughed at his own quip. "Regardless ladies, I welcome you most humbly. I pray that you all find what you are looking for, whatever it may be, during our time together. Hear, hear."

"Hear, hear!" The men toasted and most of them downed the rest of their wine.

Jonas offered the chance to speak to Cordelia, as he sat with a flourish of his hand. "Ladies, it has come to my attention that several cases of luggage that we pillaged from your ship were placed in my personal collection. When you've finished your meal I'd like it if you all followed me, as I think you'll like what I have to offer you." There were no shouts of agreement or grand toasts as she sat back down and finished her food.

It wasn't long before the wine had settled in everyone's bellies, and loosened the conversations. Everyone seemed more at ease with everything than earlier in the day.

Zylphia wondered what purpose she could possibly hold aboard the ship, though. She was never one for leadership and doubted that she would want to ever take on the role of captain that Jonas offered. Not only that, but why even offer that position up to eighteen unknown women, instead of offering it to one of his crew members, or better yet offer it to Cordelia?

Zylphia kept these thoughts in the back of her mind. She was sure that he was still holding back from the rest of them, keeping a secret to himself.

She found herself staring, and he met her eyes once again. They were enchanting and the golden hazel color practically glowed in the candlelight, filled to the brim with unfiltered knowing. Zylphia felt uneasy, like she'd just been caught taking an extra helping of dessert. Her conversation with Olimpia quickly danced through her mind, and she wondered if her instinct was correct; that he truly did sense her suspicions.

She didn't have time to contemplate it further though because Cordelia stood and invited all the women to follow.

Zylphia wasn't sure how many levels there were on the ship, but they must've gone pretty far down. The smell of tar and mildew was stronger down here as they were undoubtedly close to the surface of the ocean. Cordelia led them to a room filled with rare artifacts, priceless jewels, and exotic items all strewn around like they were nearly worthless. Various empty trunks were piled up in one corner, lying open like they'd been picked through already.

"I have several armoires down to the left. Feel free to come down here whenever you all would like. Anything here is yours to use," said Cordelia. A handful of women ventured over and opened the doors, revealing the numerous gowns and elaborate coats. "Tomorrow is another day of working, so pick what you wear appropriately." She seemed to eye some of the more bejeweled ladies in particular, before her eyes fell on the hems of everyone's dresses. There was a small gasp as Victoria held up a beautiful purple gown. "This- this is mine!"

Cordelia seemed unaffected by the underlying accusation. "Yes. I do believe that most of your belongings have found a temporary home among my possessions. As I said, anything here is yours to use." Cordelia was unabashedly still, waiting for someone to challenge her. What were they going to do? Steal them back from the pirates who housed them?

With that, Cordelia went back up the stairs. She slipped away nearly unnoticed. Most of the women went to great lengths to locate their stolen belongings, but several others found new treasures to hold onto.

"What's that you've got there?" Cordayne asked Brett.

In Brett's hands was a ruby pendant the size of grape, big and bold, just how she liked. "Just my newest bauble," she held it up to her neck to let Cordayne judge it.

Next to them, Joyce had dug out a violin. "Oh my Lord." She held it gingerly between her fingers, her mouth agape. "Do you know what this is?" Joyce asked to no one in particular.

"A violin?" Brett responded, unsure of what Joyce was so excited about.

"Not just any violin," Joyce said, "This is a Stradivarius." She stepped away from the duo before they could ask what exactly that was, and began to tune it. She approached Victoria, who was dusting off a Forte-piano. She played with the keys, surprised to find it in working condition despite the girls tuned their instruments and dabbled a bit while the rest continued their search.

One by one, the women were satisfied with their haul, taking care to find working clothes for the next morning as well. Eventually Joyce took her violin up to her cabin, feeling the pull of sleep. All that was left was Victoria, who had settled in nicely. Various melodies erupted from the keys, light and airy, as she experimented with the instrument. All she had to go on was her baby grand back in London, but there was little chance that she'd ever see that again.

At some point, time caught up with her. Victoria realized she'd probably been down here for an hour longer than the rest. She shut the lid and turned to the stairs behind her, blinking her eyes a few times to make sure she didn't trip and break something worth far more than she could imagine.

"It's from Vienna."

Victoria gasped and jumped back.

Jonas stood in the door frame, leaning his head on the post. "You're quite talented. I could have that moved to a more accessible room if you'd like. Nobody can hear you play down here, love."

Victoria was very aware of that, and also very aware of the fact that nobody would be able to hear her if she were to be ambushed by a pirate. Especially when that pirate was their captain.

"Thank you," Victoria said with a shaky voice. "I'd rather like that." There was silence as Jonas narrowed his eyes, like he was studying a map instead of a woman. Victoria wasn't having it, though. She pushed her fear down, like she'd done so many times before. "Good night, Captain," she said and slid past him to run up the stairs. He didn't follow her.

For a moment, she was worried that he was actually there in good nature, to compliment her musical ability. That fear of insulting a well-meaning man chipped away at her resolve, but she shook it away. She wasn't going to risk her safety to flatter the ego of men ever again. Her hand flew to her locket, holding it tight until she had made it to her cabin.

* * *

 **I thought I'd update one more time before Christmas, so consider this an early present. Let me know what you all think of it! I love reading everyone's reviews! There was quite a bit in this chapter, and it ran longer than my normal ones do, so I hope it was alright.**

 **Until my next update I hope everybody has a very Merry Christmas!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 12**

Five nights had passed since the girls had been taken on as semi-willing guests of the Jewel of Hades.

During that time, Maia, Cordayne, and Zephora had asked to transfer from the cannons to the ropes. They had planned a trade after the first day of work with Stella, Connie, and Umakoti. Stella had no quarrels learning how to fire a cannon and Connie had offered herself and Umakoti to take their places. Despite them not being too close as friends, it was clear that Uma truly had twisted her ankle badly on that first day, and was too stubborn to come forward. Connie felt that if she took on the task of moving stations for Umakoti that she'd comply, and she did without a word.

The difficulty came when they asked Cordelia, who immediately declined. They won out because Jonas had convinced her otherwise. He seemed to want every girl to play to their strengths. Maia was sure she had even overheard Jonas remind her, "It _is_ a competition."

Maia had taken to rope climbing fairly easily, alongside Cordayne. She couldn't stand the sound of cannon fire in her ears and her hands were used to working quickly and precisely. She felt even more confident once she'd found her father's belt in Cordelia's personal belongings, remembering how hard her parents worked and how to persevere. It was difficult at first with the heavy metal weighing her down, but she'd rather struggle with climbing than leave it out of her reach.

Four days later, the swap was obviously the right choice, as she climbed up the ropes to her station, and flew back down to hear orders. Every woman had become well practiced, as was expected when they worked from sunup to sundown learning their job.

It was interesting to notice how they had even come to compete in proficiency with Robin and Florence. To pass the time some days they would hold races. Nobody had beaten the duo yet, but Maia was sure that she and Cordayne were close.

A race had just concluded, and Maia was catching her breath. Her wild curly hair was pinned back, keeping it out of her eyes. Florence, also heaving, sat next to her. "Good job, you all are learning quite fast." Her Italian inflection was evident at the end of each word.

Maia smiled widely. "Thanks! You and Robin are good examples to learn from."  
"Thank you." Florence's forehead glistened with moisture, and the light sea breeze pushed the loose strands of hair off of her neck.

Maia gazed around at the group of women above deck. Each one had adopted their own style from Cordelia's extensive closet of wordly clothes. Even though each girl was unique and from different backgrounds they all laid about the deck, breathing heavily and wide grins as they recovered from the friendly competition.

There were points in the week where Maia truly missed her parents, but she found herself forgetting her losses more and more frequently throughout the day. She envisioned spending a few years aboard the Jewel. It was easy work, and nobody treated her like she was less than they were. If she could pull her weight than she'd be welcome. It seemed that when there wasn't anyone to fight against, being a pirate was relatively relaxed. She moved her gaze to the helm, where even Jonas and Cordelia were enjoying the refreshing breeze that passed by.

Jonas sat on the floor behind the helm's railing. His legs were dangling over the side, in between the bars. He read a book with a purple cover and looked deep in thought, but still content. Cordelia's arms were crossed and it seemed like at one point she was keeping an eye on the girls, but now her floppy hat fell over her eyes. Her head flopped lazily onto Jonas's shoulder. Jonas didn't flinch away or even look at her. The action was too familiar.

Maia sat there with Florence and tried to dissect the two of them. Images of their first night aboard flashed through their mind and the boom of the gunshot Cordelia had fired straight into Jonas's chest echoed in her ears.  
No. Real gunshots?

It was so faint, unlike the cannons firing throughout the day. Maia thought maybe she had misheard something, mistaking the normal noises of the ship for gunshots.

Until she heard them again. It was so starkly unique against the calm sea. One by one, each member aboard the ship directed their attention to the bow- the front of the ship. Off in the distance four ships approached. Robin was the first to move, excitedly running up the Jacob's ladder to aid Mouse. Cordelia was gently shaken awake by Jonas, who left his book on the floor when he investigated the sound.  
The four ships approached slowly. After a moment, the French flag could be seen overhead on the ships, bearing a golden crest in the white space in the middle.

"Stand down," Jonas ordered. "St. Martin is under my protection. They were just announcing their approach."

There was tension in the air as they approached, but Jonas seemed calm enough to keep everyone under control.

Florence leaned forward against the railing, eyes fixed on the approaching ships. Her eyebrows furrowed and her breath quickened. She seemed like she was trying to concentrate, but Maia couldn't figure out what was so compelling about the ships. Florence was approached by Joyce, oddly enough. Maia stood off to the side, too far to overhear their hushed and discreet conversation, but Joyce seemed to be trying to convince Florence of something, desperately.

Maia had almost gotten too distracted by the whispering girls, because when she looked back out to sea, the four ships had diverged. Two to each side of the Jewel of Hades. They were minuscule in comparison to their ship, but something still didn't feel right in her stomach. Something was off.

Even though Jonas had stated his trust of the ships, Cordelia's hand flew to her hip and rested on her pistol. She pulled her straw hat off her head and adjusted the gauzy material of her shirt. Her eyes were locked on the ships as they surrounded the Jewel, but she did not go against Jonas's word.

The tension hung in the sea air. Every person above deck just maintained eye contact with the ships as they slowly circled. Nobody moved, nobody spoke.

"Damn." The word bounced around on the wind. Jonas's mouth was pressed into a hard line as he gazed up into the sails. He view was blinded by the sun, but Maia swore she saw a silhouette of a very tall thin man. The figure seemed to be lounging on one of the masts, which confused her. There weren't any pirates aboard the main deck this morning, as they'd been given some time off while the girls trained.

Cordelia didn't seem as confused. One look up at the mysterious figure and she was on the move. " _To your stations!_ " she screamed just before the silence was ripped apart with a cannon shot. The Jewel shuddered, but didn't even sway from the single cannonball. Suddenly more shots filled the air as all four ships had opened fire.

The girls on deck screamed, and fear filled their eyes.

"That wasn't a suggestion!" Cordelia shouted as she made her way to the main deck and forcefully hoisted girls to their feet. "Let the sails down! We're under attack!"

* * *

It had taken some time to get used to the routine of firing a cannon, but when it was all she and the five other women had done for the past few days, it was childsplay.

Well, maybe not for children.

Stella loved the rush of power that came with firing a cannon. Once she was good at it, it gave her something to do with her idle hands. She claimed it was for the practice, but really? It was fun. The whole 'pirate' thing was growing on her. Stella still loved being an apothecary, and it was still something for her to look forward to in the colonies, but maybe spending a few months aboard a pirate ship wasn't the worst thing to do.

The girls had taken a well deserved break. They spent all morning perfecting their speed, and were now being taught how to play a new card game. This one she truly didn't know.

The rules were a bit confusing, and the game allowed for six players, but six more people stood around as they played, watching the game unfold.

"You'll want to play that 9 first before you put down the ace. It'll empty out your hand faster."

"Oh! Okay, I think I'm starting to get it," Brett said, her Irish accent noticeably thicker with excitement. Stella wasn't the only one who'd begun to like her stay aboard the ship, it seemed. The men who worked down here were far less concerned with the wills of the captain and Cordelia. They were more relaxed, and tended to drink most of the day away.

Footsteps on the wood approached, and twelve heads shot to see who was coming up the stairs, but once they saw Emanuel's head, they went back to playing.

"Manny!" One of the men called over. "You want next game?"

Emanuel rolled his eyes as he approached the group. "You better not let _la Loca_ catch you." He looked at the cards while he spoke. His Spanish accent was thick, and he held his head up with pride. "Besides, these ladies aren't going to learn anything from you. I don't think anyone here has padded my pockets with more winnings than you, Pablo."

" _Cállate la boca_ ," the man, Pablo, muttered under his breath but there was a clear smile on his face. Emmanuel was a tall man, with a few extra inches around his waist, but his presence was commanding nonetheless. It hadn't taken long to figure out that he was in charge of the lower decks, under Cordelia's watch. Stella pondered, _would that make him the 2nd mate?_

Manny was just in the middle of teaching Lara a strategy. He had taken an immediate liking to her, especially once he found out she spoke Spanish. She was often very clear in her disinterest, once even threatening him with a knife, but it did nothing to keep him at bay. Her competitive nature had gotten the better of her, and she allowed him to whisper in her ear, telling her some secrets of the game. " _¡Oh, perro asqueroso!_ " she laughed, before placing a 2 in Pablo's discard pile, effectively ending the round.

There were chuckles and groans alike as Lara claimed the small pot. She slipped Manny a couple coins, which he quickly pocketed. The bets were being redistributed as another game formed, but without warning an earsplitting crack rocked the ship and debris flew around the room.

Stella screamed, falling next to Brett and the two women crawled away together, trying to get to safety. There were shouts as the men scattered. Without hesitation, they ran to their stations. Some immediately began prepping cannons, while others ran down the length of the ship, making sure every station had it's needed ammunition. The six women seemed to just be in the way as time seemed to slow. Manny had taken charge and spat out insults woven in with his orders.

Charlie was the first to stand. She claimed the first available cannon station and began immediately loading it up. Lara was soon to follow, determination painted on her face. The four remaining, Stella, Brett, Connie, and Umakoti all were hesitant, weighing their options.

Despite the terrified shake of Connie's head, Stella stood as well, and Brett joined her. Umakoti stood as well, but not to join the fray. She pulled Connie to her feet and the two of them fled, running down the stairs.

Stella felt a small pull in her stomach, to follow them to safety, but Brett seemed to be her voice of reason. They found their positions and began loading their own cannons.

Looking down the row, as cannons shot back after every fire, Stella felt a surge of confidence. A small smile spread across her face, as she felt the power pulsing through her with each fire. The ache of her muscles disappeared and all that was left was adrenaline, pushing her to go faster. Once she'd found her rhythm, she even tuned out the shouting and the cracking and splintering of the wood siding. A hole was ripped through the wall, only a few feet from where she stood, but somehow she felt no fear. Only anger bubbling up in her veins. _How dare you attack the Jewel of Hades?_ The little voice in her mind was filled with pride. _You insult us, by thinking you have a chance!_ Where had these feelings come from? Stella couldn't be bothered to try and figure it out. She had a job to do, and she was damn good at it.

* * *

It had been ages since someone had attacked them. Jonas even felt a pang of excitement.

 _Just like the good ol' days._

There was a sense of pride that came over him, watching Cordelia fall into her role. Even in her lounge-wear, she was powerful and fierce.

The fear on the girl's faces, however, snapped him back to reality. He had to take care of that. He assess the situation. Cordelia had it covered, so Jonas quickly ran into his quarters. In addition to throwing on his belt over his waist, which contained his pistol holster and his sword, he searched frantically through his shelves and his numerous chests.

He hadn't needed to use it in ages. His men were used to battle, time worn and weary. They were no longer scared of cannonfire or even death. The women, though, had never been in a fight like this.

Jonas needed something to persuade them, something Daemon had gifted him years before the Caribbean knew Jonas as the _'Pirate King'_.

"There you are," Jonas said to himself, as he pulled a pistol out of his collection. It was silver, with pearl inladen to the grip. He ran to the door, and as soon as he opened it, he fired into the open air.

There was no ammunition, at least not physical ammo. The shot caught the attention of Cordelia alone. The girls were too distracted by the cannonfire. It had started coming from both sides as his men below deck got to work.

There was a disposition change in the air. Cordelia, fully aware of what Jonas had done, began barking more orders. The girls split off into even groups as they frantically climbed the Jacob's ladders. Jonas turned to the helm, casually waving away the cockswain. He manned the wheel in battles.

The gun's effects were already evident, as the women had no inhibitions about swinging from rope to rope. Daemon had referred to it as the 'Allure of Battle'. The effect was similar to drinking several pints of ale and then getting into a fight. It flooded the senses with adrenaline and false-confidence. Cordelia had described the effect to Jonas in her early days aboard the ship, though she couldn't feel any difference now. The effects were always notably less with every use, strongest on newcomers or those with weak stomachs.

In no time, the sails were down, pulling the Jewel of Hades ahead, out of the range of fire for these two ships. Jonas spun the wheel, turning the ship around.

Once through the center of the grouping of ships, the Jewel opened fire once again, decimating the four ships. Each _boom_ of the cannons leaving the ship echoed over the water. The sound of cracking wood as the enemy ships had holes torn through them was addictive, and Jonas was half tempted to continue the assault, but he had other plans for them. Enough damage had been done to slow them down, proven by the splintering of several minor masts falling into the water below on the enemy ships.

"Helmsman!" Jonas shouted, giving him the wheel. Jonas's boots thudded on the wood as he approached the bow. Cordelia waited for him there, fire in her eyes. Her face beamed as it always did when they reached a turning point in battle. Even moreso when they'd reached a victory. A white flag rose to the top of all four ships, and Jonas grinned. "Cease fire," he called to no one in particular. Nell jumped from her resting place to run towards the stairs to inform the cannon crew below deck.

"Round them up," he ordered to Cordelia. She brushed past him as she went to do her duty and capture the commanding officers of each of the ships. Jonas was forgiving for only one reason. The port of Saint Martin had an agreement with the Jewel of Hades, and Jonas was hell-bent on finding out why it had been broken.

He took one last glance up at the mast. Daemon was gone, and Jonas let out a sigh of relief he didn't realize he'd been holding on to.

* * *

 **I have a good excuse, I swear I do!**

 **So not only did I start school back up a couple weeks ago, but I got a super bad respiratory infection, which I still kinda have. But my energy is back, so I'm so sorry for the late update!**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It took me a minute to get back in my writing groove, so I'm sorry if any wording seems... _off._ I promise once I get back into the normal routine of regular updates it'll sound better. **

**Or maybe I'm just super self-conscious of my own writing? Whatever! Don't forget to review, fave, and follow. Your reviews keep me going, even when I don't feel too good. Until next time!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 13**

Daemon was not gone. It was never that easy- not with him.

Below deck, in the steamy kitchens where Zylphia and Olimpia hid there was the thudding of boots on the planks of wood. The chefs had gone to assist the cannon crew, leaving the two timid girls to barricade themselves against the floor. They took up as little space as possible, praying that any stray cannonballs missed them. Just their shallow breaths could be heard underneath the tents of random pieces of wood and cast iron cookware.

"Olimpia-"

"Shhh!" Olimpia slapped a hand over Zylphia's mouth. She would have regretted being so forceful but the cannon fire had stopped and all you heard was the slow and menacing footsteps coming toward the two of them. Their fear permeated the air around them, making them drunk with anxiety.

Each step was louder, approaching their hiding spot, until each one was like the cannons being shot off all over again. Olimpia bit her bottom lip to keep from whimpering, and she felt Zylphia shaking next to her. The strange waves of confidence they had during the fight was gone, replaced by unbearable dread.

The wood shelter they'd built was pulled violently away and both girls cried out in fear, cowering and curling up into themselves.

"Ladies! We've been looking everywhere for you!" The voice was silky and refined. Olimpia looked up to see a young man looking down at the two of them in relief. His strong cheekbones caught her attention first, before it fell onto his plump rosy lips, curled up in a genuine smile.

"Is the fight over? Did we win?" Zylphia asked. The man nodded and offered each of his hands to help the two girls up. With ease he pulled them close. The top of Olimpia's head barely reached his neck, and he towered over the two girls. His smokey scent had undertones of rose, smelling much more like strong incense rather than smoke from a battle.

Olimpia inhaled sharply, and then lightly shook her head. "Where is everyone?"

"They're on the top deck. The captain wanted everyone to be present for the other ships' surrender."

Olimpia and Zylphia didn't argue, and followed where the man led them. Their week in the kitchens meant that they hadn't had the opportunity to introduce themselves to every member of the crew, but they hardly recognized him. A man like this would've been noticed without a doubt, which made Olimpia wonder what his job was that hid him away from sight.

The threesome reached the base of the stairs and the man held a hand out, "Ladies first."

Zylphia waited for Olimpia, following her up the steps. The bright sunlight was shocking as they poked their heads above deck.

They saw the girls trained on ropes dangling from above. The cannon girls stood on deck as well. They stood still, watching as Jonas spoke to Nell.

"-didn't say to bring them back up. Just to cease firing." His tone was calm but his eyes gave his stress away, as they flicked from a pair of uniformed men to the grouping of women. They settled on Zylphia and Olimpia as well, confusion blanketing his expression. "What are you two doing up here? I didn't give any orders-" he cut himself off, his eyes fixing on the stairs behind them. Olimpia turned her attention behind her to where the man was. He was slow coming up the stairs, his head hanging low. A previously charming smile was now thin and tight, and his eyes had become shadowed. Olimpia struggled to remember if he'd looked like that down in the kitchens, but it was like there was fog in her mind.

"Jonas," the man said as if greeting an old rival.

Jonas said nothing in reply. His breath quickened and his hand flew instinctually to his sword.

"Jonas," Cordelia spoke up. She was standing behind the two uniformed men, holding their shoulders in a death grip. "They can see him. Do something."

"What?" Jonas looked dazed. He looked pale as his eyes stayed locked on the sinister man.

Olimpia shuddered as the man rested his fingers on her shoulder. He took both her and Zylphia into a rigid embrace. His alluring incense aroma had vanished, tainted by the smell of metallic blood.

"Don't touch them," Jonas said low. He was still unmoving, but his fingers were white on the hilt of his sword. "Don't."

"My dear friend. They are as much my guests as they are yours, are they not?"

"Daemon." Jonas's voice was no longer low and shaky, but instead threatening. Before he could issue his actual threat, Daemon lifted his fingers off of their shoulders.

He held up his hands, like he was surrendering. "Oh, Jonesy. Why do you have to always be so dramatic? I don't think you want to get testy right now." Daemon put his hands down and started pacing the deck. "I'm sorry about him, ladies. I really am. He's never been one to share the spotlight." He shrugged. "My name is Daemon Stygian. I guess you could say that I'm the home office-Jonas's boss. As you can imagine this means I like being informed of the happenings aboard the Jewel of Hades." Everyone had eyes on Daemon. Tension clung to everyone like sweat and he approached the two uniformed strangers.

"So, as you all can imagine, I am quite frustrated by the state of things. Not only are there eighteen women aboard but also the ship is under attack." He stepped forward to appraise the soldiers. "What gives you the right?"

"Captain Émile Marseille, French Royal Navy, La Sirène des Bermudes."

"Lieutenant Edward Berger, French Royal Navy, La Nymphe de Sainte Martin."

Daemon chuckled. "Comme c'est adorable. Tout juste sortis de l'entraînement, pas vrai?" [[How adorable. Just out of training, right?]]

If the soldiers were caught by surprise, they didn't show it. Instead, they each repeated their names, ranking and their respective ships. Daemon chuckled. Faster than any pair of eyes could have tracked it, he had stabbed the lieutenant straight through. Choking sounds escaped as he looked down to see the hilt of a dark onyx sword sticking out from his navel. The captain's eyes widened in horror and he grabbed his lieutenant by the arm and slowly lowered him to the floor. "Edward! Non!" The sword stuck out of the poor man's back as the captain stood over him.

"Daemon!" Jonas shouted. Daemon lazily turned around, looking annoyed. He threw his hands out to the sides.

"What?"

"I have an agreement with their home port!"

"I don't, and besides, they were just shooting at you not 20 minutes ago. Looks like your agreement is over."

* * *

All the girls had somehow managed to make their way to the corner of the deck, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Robin still preferred being on the ropes, so she climbed instead. She preferred to have a good view point rather than stick close to the group.

This stranger, Daemon, was causing quite a scene. Robin was a big fan of the whole stabbing thing, though reasonably this could be a problem for Jonas.

"What's wrong, ladies?" Daemon taunted. "Isn't this what you all are here for? To become pirates?" Daemon looked annoyed, and pulled his sword out from the dead body.

"Don't you find this danger exciting?" He shouted and started wildly swinging his sword in the direction of the women.

Robin was quite proud when she saw many of them stood their ground, staring Daemon down and daring him to try. The sound of metal unsheathing made Daemon turn around. Cordelia had pulled the sword out of the French captain's belt and was challenging Daemon. "That's enough! Don't you have any maggots in hell you can bother? You've overstayed your welcome."

Daemon smiled, but before he could take Cordelia up on the offer Jonas stepped between them.

"We can talk in private." Jonas turned behind him to face Cordelia. "Finish things up out here. Send the girls below for the night."

Jonas led Daemon into his quarters. Cordelia stood there with the French captain's sword in hand, trying to process what just happened. "Ha!" She shouted and rammed the sword into the wooden railing out of anger. "You heard him!" She shouted at the women. "Go entertain yourselves downstairs!" The group of women slowly made their way down the stairs as Cordelia furiously muttered to herself.

Robin had other plans. She climbed higher, concealing herself in the sails of the ship.

"You-" Cordelia pointed at the captain. "Why would St. Martin attack us? We've had a years long agreement with Governor Schreave. What changed?"

The captain held his hands up, "Captain Émile Marseille, French Royal-"

"Don't give me any of that crap! You're not a damn hostage. We have enough money. Just tell us what we need to know." Cordelia waved over a crewmember. She pulled the pistol from his belt and held it up to the captain's head. "I don't ask twice."

Robin made a note of how much Cordelia liked to steal other people's weapons as she watched from above. The captain broke down, tearfully giving the best explanation he could. It was hard to catch everything between sobs, but essentially the Governor had been gifted a much larger navy from the King of France, thus eliminating his need to take pirate bribes.

There was a tense moment where Cordelia was clearly deciding whether or not to pull the trigger, especially in the apparent absence of the women. "Get back on your own ship," she muttered. She flopped the pistol back into the palm of the crewmember, who followed the captain back to his own ship. Cordelia sighed and began to pace the deck, taking frequent glances at the closed door to Jonas's room. Finally, she sighed and ran down the stairs.

The few remaining crewmembers on deck relaxed. Robin slowly descended the ropes. No one paid her any attention. Robin approached the cabin door and carefully leaned an ear against it. The voices were muffled and it took her a moment to get used to it, but she caught a bit of what was happening.

"-done. I want out." That was clearly Jonas's voice.

"Why would you want out? I've given you everything."

"Except you conveniently left out the part about being traumatized by dead people!"

"That's not my fault. Magic comes with some nasty side effects."

"Daemon these tasks are impossible. I only have two actual candidates for taking over the ship."

"Cordelia?"

"I could never ask that of her."

"Then you better figure out your shit, kid. I've been nothing but helpful. I give you everything you ever ask for and now you want more. Well trust me, I'll give you more."

There was silence. Followed by whispers- pleading whispers. What was Daemon doing to Jonas? Robin almost left it alone, positive that this wasn't her business anymore but soon the whispers became cries for help. She took her ear off the door. The heavy wood blocked most of the sound. Nobody on the deck heard Jonas cry out. Once again Robin held her ear to the door. This time the cries sounded pained. Tortured. Robin tried to overcome her urge to walk away, but something told her it was important. She knocked very lightly on the door, but Jonas must have not heard. She turned the doorknob, surprised to find it open. She peeked inside to hear Jonas crying out more clearly.

"Hello?" She called in.

She opened the door and closed it, searching for the two men. Daemon was nowhere to be seen. How had he escaped the room? Robin had been blocking the front door. She heard Jonas though. She followed his voice to find him in the corner of the room. His eyes frantically flew around, and he was shouting for whatever he saw to 'leave him alone'.

"Jonas?" Robin asked, unsure of what to do. "Jonas!" She shook him.

The door opened again. Cordelia dropped the metal cup to the ground, her wine spilling on the floor. "Oh shit!" she hissed as she flew to his side. She gripped his shoulders and face, forcing him to look at her. "Jonas, Jonas look at me! I'm real! Jonas, please snap out of it!" She was panicked and pulled him down so his head laid on her shoulder. She cupped her hand over his eyes. "Jonas, hear my voice. They aren't real." Slowly, Jonas calmed down. He panted, exhausted. He held his hand over Cordelia's, still over his eyes. He slowly lifted her hand off his eyes and looked around. His eyes fell on Robin, but he said nothing.

"Robin," Cordelia said, "I think it's best if you left us."

"No." Robin stared Cordelia down.

"No?"

"I need to know what the hell is going on before I do. Who the hell was Daemon, and what did he do to you?"

Jonas exchanged a look with Cordelia. "Cordelia could you leave us just for a moment?" You could tell by the look in her eyes that she didn't want to leave him. Not right now, but she did anyway. Jonas sighed, sitting up straighter. "If I told you everything, you'd be here for hours. But I'll tell you that Daemon is the- the being, that gave me the ability to heal like you all saw, that ensured numerous victories on the behalf of the Jewel of Hades, that basically raised me, and found Cordelia for me. I- I thought my life was set. I didn't have to ever go hungry, I was surrounded in luxury, and I had a loyal crew. I dined with royalty regularly, and in return I killed who Daemon wanted me to kill, and I was his fearsome errand boy." Those words fell out of Jonas's mouth like they tasted bad. "I don't want to be the Pirate King anymore. I just," he took a deep breath, "I just want to retire. I want to hide away on an remote island with Cordelia and never have to kill someone ever again."

This made sense to Robin. All her life she'd been working from ship to ship just so she could survive. Retiring with someone you loved and a boatload of money seemed too good to be true.

"Is that what the tasks are for?" Robin asked.

Jonas looked at her incredulously. "How did you know that Daemon gave me tasks?"

"I was listening through the door," Robin replied boldly. She wasn't concerned in the least that it was an invasion of privacy.

He shot her a look but evidently didn't care too much because he continued on. "Yes. The tasks are Daemon's way of making sure I am never able to quit. If by some miracle I manage to complete them all then that means at the very least he'll get a successor. A successor 'in the form of Venus'."

"That's one of them?"

"Yes."

"So that's why you brought all these girls aboard."

Jonas nodded. "Yes. I had my eye on either you or Florence to take command. You both were naturals at pirating already. At this point most of the girls have the basics down but there's no substitute for experience."

Robin considered this. Was Jonas asking if she wanted to become captain- that is, if he managed to complete the rest of the tasks that came with it? Robin briefly imagined her life if she were to say yes. The riches, the status, the power that would be thrown upon her.

But like she'd already thought before: it was too good to be true. "And whoever you pick to be captain would get tortured. They'd become Daemon's plaything and wind up on the floor screaming about dead people every night?" Robin asked, offended. "That's not anything anyone would want. You're out of your mind. You can count me out." Jonas's face fell even more. He knew it was wrong to force a lifetime of torture upon any of these women. The pirate in him didn't care. He was selfish in that way, despite knowing what was right.

He still felt ashamed though. "I understand."

"But," Robin started, "I do think Daemon is a prick. I won't take over your burden but I'll help you get out of this."

"Why?"

Robin shrugged, and smile tried to curl up on her lips but she held it back. "I have nothing better to do. Plus you guys serve better food than any other ship I've worked on."

Jonas chuckled. He saw a lot of himself in Robin, and he didn't feel like he needed to pretend to be more grand than he was around her because she saw straight through it anyway.

"I've gotta go. I'm sure Cordelia is itching to get you back," Robin teased.

"Eh, it'll do her some good."

Robin stood and helped Jonas up. While he walked to his desk she exited the room.

Cordelia was leaning against the wall outside the door. She stood up straight as Robin crossed the threshold. "You," Cordelia spoke to Robin, "I want to make something clear." Cordelia approached her, sizing her up and towering over her. "Leave Jonas alone. If you have any problems, you come to me. Don't ever go into his quarters again or I'll have you thrown overboard. Am I clear?"

Robin was silent. She refused to give any satisfaction to Cordelia. Robin didn't care how close she was to the captain.

Cordelia didn't wait for a response, though. She pushed past Robin to get into Jonas's room.

Robin scoffed, and went down below deck. She wanted to talk with Florence about what she'd discovered. Florence was the other choice for Jonas, and Robin didn't want to wait for Jonas to decide to tell her the situation. It'd be easier if she and Florence were on the same page.

It was still early in the evening. Most of the ladies were in the yellow sitting room. Robin knew better though. She and Florence liked to play cards with the men in their lounge area during their time off. Upon approaching the crew's deck though, she noticed Florence wasn't there.

"Manny," Robin called to one of the pirate's she'd befriended. "Have you seen Florence anywhere?"

"No, esé." He brushed her off and went back to his game.

Robin searched other floors and even knocked on Florence's door but there was no answer. Her last resort was the depths of the ship, where Cordelia's collection was. If she wasn't there Robin figured she'd talk to her tomorrow.

But while descending the stairs she heard voices- one of them being Florence.

"Hey, Florence, we need to talk," Robin said while rounding a corner. In the room, Florence and Joyce were sitting deep in conversation.

"Robin," Florence said, "What do you need?"

"I, uhm," Robin wasn't expecting to see Joyce down here, and didn't feel entirely comfortable talking about everything with her there. They didn't know each other that well, especially since Joyce was a wealthy noble woman.

"Actually," Joyce interrupted, "Florence and I were a little busy. Can she catch up with you later?" Joyce was firm and there was a hint of concern on her voice that Robin immediately caught.

"... Yes. Florence when you're done I'll be with the crew." Joyce stared at Robin until she left, which made her uncomfortable. They didn't continue their conversation until Robin was out of earshot.

That didn't sit right with Robin. Why would Florence be hiding down here with Joyce? They had never talked before- not that Robin had ever seen. They didn't have anything in common either, so Robin was left wondering and suspicious of her only close friend aboard the Jewel of Hades.

* * *

 **I hope you liked this chapter!**

 **Thanks to everyone on Discord for keeping me on task. I literally lose track of how many days have passed between school and work. TO make up for it I'm trying to get used to writing the chapters a bit longer each time, to make the wait more worthwhile.**

 **Anyway, what did you guys think of Daemon? Love him? Hate him? Strangely curious? Also, I love writing protective!Cordelia. She's easily one of my favorite characters to write about, stealing weapons and being sassy and angry all the time, haha! What did y'all think of her?  
**

 **Also, most of Jonas's secrets are out to y'all (one more big one lol). I'm taking a Mental Health Nursing class right now and learning about schizophrenia and I think I may have accidentally made Jonas schizophrenic... But they're real tho, Daemon's causing them. JS.  
**

 **Thanks for reading! Can't wait to see the reviews, because they keep me inspired and tell me how I'm doing at explaining everything the right way, so please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 14**

Jonas didn't sleep well that night. He'd sat awake at his desk, re-reading the same books that he's read cover to cover for years. Unsurprisingly, there weren't any answers jumping out at him. He was still left with more questions and infuriating vagueness.  
Cordelia was asleep in their bed. Her red hair was always a tangled mess, but it seemed worse when her face was buried into the numerous pillows. He had told her to sleep, insisting that he would try to fall into Morpheus's arms in the darkest hours, but of course, he had lied.  
His head shot up, jolting awake from a small nap. He had used the book as a pillow but hadn't been asleep long at all. The nightmares were far too real.  
With a sigh, he stood taking care not to let his chair squeak in the floorboards. The early morning twilight was visible through his paned window at the stern of his cabin. That was his favorite part of the day. He stepped into the chilled morning air on deck. Summer was coming to a close, he could tell. The blistering heat was quickly fading, replaced by refreshing cool morning air.  
There were only two crew members out on the deck this early. One had fallen asleep by the stern, a goblet of ale in his limp hand, and the other was sitting atop of the mast, surveying the water beyond the ship. Mouse was still sleeping and was very particular about his crow's nest. Nobody was allowed up there unless he was too. Except for Jonas and Cordelia, of course, but out of respect, they avoided making Mouse irritated.  
He wasn't about to disturb the peaceful twilight by waking up his sailor, so he headed in the opposite direction, to the bowsprit. He climbed up the railing and felt the lookout's eyes fall upon him. Jonas couldn't be injured, but if he fell in the water and got dragged under the boat it wouldn't be pretty, so he took care in his balance.  
Once settled in, he dangled his legs down below. Recently, his daily life had been chaotic and stressful, leaving him no opportunity to breathe. Between the girls basically running the boat on their own, Cordelia taking on more duties than before, and Daemon showing his damn face, here again, Jonas was at his wit's end. Now, he had a rogue governor thinking that it was okay to attack Jonas out of nowhere. He'd have to discuss with Cordelia when she wakes about what to do about that whole fiasco.  
Several minutes passed. The sun slowly rose above the horizon, blanketing the world in light and warmth. The sound of the bow splitting the water's surface took over his focus, forming waves that mesmerized him.  
"Captain?" a meek voice called out to him, breaking his peace.  
He turned his head to the deck, where one of the girls, Cordayne, stood at the railing. "Cordayne," he acknowledged her, beckoning her to join him on the thin pole. "You're up early."  
"I couldn't really sleep." She appraised the climb over to him and took a slight risk.  
"Me neither. I take it that yesterday wasn't the easiest for you all."  
Cordayne shook her head. "No. Everything I thought I knew has just flown overboard. I don't even know what's real anymore."  
As much as Jonas wanted to say ' I understand', he didn't. All he's ever known was pirating. Some of the earliest memories he can recall were with Daemon, back before Jonas knew better than to trust him.  
"I can imagine how difficult this is for you all. I appreciate it though. You have no idea what you all being here means for me." Jonas smiled at Cordayne. He may not be able to tell all of them the predicament he's gotten himself into, but he quite enjoyed the company and the entertainment.  
They sat there with the gentle bucking of the ship as it sailed through the water lulling them to silence. Cordayne adjusted her position sitting because the wood began to dig into her skin. She gripped the bowsprit tightly, making sure to not accidentally fall to the water below. He heart jumped into her throat as her ankle slipped from under her and she dug her nails into the wood. A strong arm had instantly found its way under her weight. Jonas held her up while she found a secure place to sit. In her slip, her undershirt had slipped from its place on her shoulders, bunching at the wrists. It revealed her shoulders, and as a gentleman does, Jonas automatically averted his eyes. He is, however, a pirate, so that averted gaze didn't stay away. He looked at the smooth skin at her shoulders. They were still untainted but sunlight, iridescent in the morning glow. The only exception was a pale tan birthmark dotting its way along the top of her shoulder. As soon as she was steady, she quickly pulled her sleeves back up, turning away from Jonas to hide her embarrassed blush.

Her silver-grey eyes shot daggers at him, to which Jonas incredulously said, "I'm sorry?" He chuckled. "It's just a shoulder. You're not in London anymore, love."

"I know that. I'm on a bloody pirate ship, it's pretty obvious. Though I feel as if some women aboard think they're still noble here."

Jonas cocked his head to the side. "Oh?"

"From where I'm from you adapt. It's that way you survive."

Jonas was silent, appraising Cordayne. She was dressed simply, despite Cordelia giving the girls access to her personal belongings when they arrived. Her shirt fit loosely and the black trousers she wore came high upon her hips, tied in the front in a criss-cross pattern.

"I can tell. You don't seem like the type to grab the attention of every man in the room with glittering jewels or an overflowing bosom. You're understated. You look like a pirate, love," he said affectionately. Ever the charmer, he was.

Cordayne didn't blush, she didn't smile, she didn't flirt back. Instead, she raised her chin up high, and a faint smirk pulled at the corner of her mouth that she tried to keep down. She was proud.

"Yes, well. You either fight your circumstances or accept them. I prefer to have an iron grip of control in my life. Otherwise, it's not mine."

"Fair point." Cordayne was not the woman Jonas originally thought she was, and he appreciated this new outlook on the confident yet guarded woman in front of him. Behind her, Jonas saw a small gathering of women coming up from below deck, ready to start the day. "Thank you for spending this time with me, love. I hope you keep that control and use it to keep me company more often." She smiled at that sentiment, but her brow furrowed. Something felt off, and as much as Cordayne wanted to let her guard completely down around her captain, it felt strange to have him be so blatantly flirtatious with her.

He helped her down from the bowsprit, holding a hand out to her. She took it and headed to the girls who'd just gotten up. She immediately went to Brett.

She looped her arm through Bretts and pulled her close. The other two girls, Nell and Caroline followed alongside them.

"Cordelia and Jonas are totally in love, right?"

"Uhm, last time I checked I still had eyes. Thank you, Cordayne, for clarifying the obvious," Brett scoffed at Cordayne and rolled her eyes.

Cordayne nudged Brett to stop joking with her. "No, I'm serious. Jonas was just… _flirting_?"

Brett and Nell burst into laughter. "Oh Lord, I wish." Nell wiped away a tear from laughing.

" _I'm not bloody lying!_ " Cordayne scolded them in a hushed voice, as she could tell their voices were carried on the wind and Jonas had looked over at the sound of laughter.

"You must be joking. Have you seen the way he and Cordelia are? They share a bedroom and the way they look at each other is like nothing I've ever seen. If they're not, then something's awry," Caroline pointed out smartly.

Cordayne's brow furrowed. "Then he's acting quite suspicious. He just offered to have me keep him company more often. It's far more forward than any man I've ever been around."

The sound of creaking wood stopped their conversation in their tracks. Cordelia stepped out, she was dressed but was meticulously combing out her ratty orange hair. Her linen shirt was tucked into a bodice, but the neck was dangerously low. Her cleavage mere millimeters from slipping out. She called out Jonas's name softly and casually waved him into their shared quarters, into which he headed.

"In. Love." Brett lamented.

Zylphia came up the stairs in front of them, holding a tray of scones she offered to everyone. They lacked in flavor only slightly but the texture was perfectly crumbly. "I would've loved to add some fresh fruit, but well…" Zylphia trailed off. The explanation wasn't needed. It was hard to cook on a ship, let along one with over a hundred people on it where the food kept going bad.

"It's delicious Zylphia, thank you," Nell gave a little happy shake- maybe it was a small dance of joy. Regardless, she enjoyed them.

Jonas and Cordelia emerged from their room. They were casual, as not many people were up on deck. Cordelia approached the small huddle of women while Jonas went up to the helmsman at the wheel.

"Ladies," Cordelia greeted all of them. "We are going to be heading to St. Martin. We'll maybe arrive by tomorrow midday. There's going to be a shipwide meeting, but Jonas would like to meet with just you all right now. Please go and fetch everyone and meet us in the yellow room." She didn't dismiss us, but instead walked away and joined Jonas at the helm.

* * *

Once everyone had gathered, several still trying to wipe the sleep out of their eyes, Jonas and Cordelia came in. The tension that had hung in the air the first time Cordelia brought everyone in this space for a meeting was gone. All of them were far more comfortable, and confident in their ability to handle themselves in the company of pirates.

Cordelia was the first to speak, while Jonas sat behind her, seeming to be deep in thought. "We are going to shore tomorrow. This means I will be equipping all of you with not only the skills but the means to protect yourselves. You are going to be with a group of us going to confront the governor, and things may not go as planned. I'll be teaching you all how to fire a gun, and how to draw it from a gown, among any other skills I think you'll need to equip. More on that later today, after we all gather down below to fit you all for appropriate outfits." She yielded to Jonas, who slowly stood and refused to make eye contact with the women.

"I realize," Jonas started, "that several of you made the crossing from London for a reason. I realize that kidnapping you all for selfish reasons means that those plans you may or may not have made are now dissolved. I thank you all for participating, and I thank you all for your time aboard. I hope I may have made an impact on not only the perceptions you have about what life could offer but the perceptions you may have come aboard having of yourselves. In just a short amount of time, you've all astounded me with how quickly you can learn, and how loyal you are. I couldn't ask more from even my crew. But, that's because I consider you all to be part of the crew." Jonas took a deep breath. "Which is why it is difficult for me to bring you all to St. Martin with me. I understand many of you may use this opportunity to leave us. I will not be upset at this decision. I promise. I just hope that I've made a similar impact on all of you. I hope you see this as more of an opportunity to grow as a person. That you will not only grow in riches but in confidence and in a family. I have witnessed you all grow more self-assured every day. Perhaps you all will also see the value in your time aboard The Jewel of Hades, with me."

Without waiting to hear the girls' decisions, Jonas nodded to Cordelia and left the room.

"I'll be down with my belongings. I'll meet you all down there." She followed him out.

They sat in silence. Some in awe at coming aboard kidnapped and now being part of the crew and a select few in anticipation. Anticipation of leaving as soon as they had the chance, but now feeling conflicted. Perhaps time could be made to live out a once in a lifetime adventure, precious time in their youth where they had no obligations of family, no estates to look over, and no substantial reason why they couldn't stay, just for a tad bit longer.

For several girls, this was the first time they had felt a sense of belonging. Others despised that feeling, lone wolves who will opt to stay because it's beneficial. Then there were those who had a reason, a very compelling reason to cross the Atlantic ocean, and no ship full of Pirates could stop them.

A large grouping of girls stood to head several floors below the deck and have Cordelia fit them for a gown.

"You coming, Joyce?" Victoria asked of her friend, who didn't stand. Her face was flat, and she stared down at her hands.

"Ah," Joyce snapped out of her daze, "Yes. In one moment. I'll see you down there." Joyce smiled at Victoria reassuringly. Left alone by her friends, and as more people left, just her and Florence remained in the room.

"Why so down?" Florence teased as she approached her.

Joyce sighed. "Why are we still sneaking around? The captain just said we were all free to go. Let's just tell him that we're going to leave in St. Martin."

Florence snorted. "You actually believed that pile of horse shit? He would never let us go, not after the trouble they went through to get us up here in the first place."

"Maybe he had a change of heart?"

Florence let out an exasperated sigh, sat inches from Joyce's face and held her by the chin. "Do you want to get to Adrian, _or not?_ "

Joyce was taken aback by the intensity Florence held in her voice and nodded as best she could while Florence held an iron grip on her jaw.

"Good." Florence let her go.

"Why are _you_ so eager to get off the ship? Don't you feel right at home?" Joyce tried to not let the indignation seep into her tone.

"I have my reasons. Good ones," Florence seemed to shut down at the question. "I'll keep you updated on the plan once we dock. Don't do anything impulsive," Florence said as she walked away, her accent lingering in the room that Joyce was left in.

* * *

 **Okay.**

 **Let's just all pretend that I updated on time, and will always update on time.**

 **I have no excuses to give, so I hope you all just enjoyed it!**

 **...**

 **Please review and let me know what you think, I'll try and keep updating on time, but sometimes my schedule gets ahead of me. I'll try and write ahead while I have some time now so that I have some saved up for times when I can't write for a while.**

 **Also, sorry for the weird formatting at the top. I'm not sure what happened, and I couldn't fix it. Oops.**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 15**

"Do you have anything more… understated?" Lara appraised herself in the mirror. The normally leather-clad woman appraised herself in the mirror.

"I think the color suits you," Charlie teased, to which Lara nudged her roughly. Her gown was a soft lilac color, with giant roses embellished on the skirt and a white lace hem.

Robin sat on a small cushion off to the side, a dress laid lazily on her lap. "I'm not wearing a dress."

Cordelia, on the opposite side of the room, was lacing Zephora into a vibrant red bodice adorned with jewels. "You have to wear a dress to hide your weapons unless you prefer to go in unarmed?" Sweat fell from Cordelia's brow. The stagnant air this far below deck was suffocating, and Cordelia was running back and forth between all eighteen women.

Robin's face was red, though whether it was from her irritation or from the heat it wasn't obvious. She stripped down and began putting on the soft white dress. It was the only one that Cordelia had that would fit Robin's short stature. Robin had become far more indignant recently. She seemed angry but instead of outwardly expressing it, she became more withdrawn, more than usual.

Maia, already dressed in an exotic black and gold gown that revealed her midriff, began helping Robin dress without being asked. She had been immediately drawn to her own dress, but quickly put her father's belt around the waist of it despite the fact that it didn't quite match.

Joyce came down the stairs on her own. She noticed that Florence wasn't there, probably ditching the dress fitting. Joyce joined her circle of friends, most already dressed without the help of Cordelia.

"We picked out this one for you!" Celandine offered her a beautiful cyan blue gown with delicate flowing sleeves. The girls fell upon their friend, dressing her meticulously despite just dressing for practice.

Joyce looked at herself in the mirror. She was reminded of everything she came to the new world for. The gown fit every curve and still held onto her modesty. _Adrian would love this dress,_ she thought. Her heart longed for her fiancé. It had been nearly a year since he left her to prepare their estate, and every second was agony. Originally, when getting kidnapped, she was terrified. It was another obstacle, another wall to jump over and survival was her first concern. Anything to get to Adrian.

So why did she feel this? She wasn't having second thoughts- not at all. Was it the fear of missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime experience? There was a taste of freedom and control that she'd never been given before, and it urged her to stay, even just for a little while longer.

Joyce shook her head and put on a smile for her friends. There was no room for that kind of thinking, not when she was so close to getting out. "It's beautiful, ladies! Thank you, it's perfect."

Once everyone had been fitted for a dress, Cordelia had them line up. "This works…" she said to herself before going to a large chest. She pulled out a drawer to reveal rows of unique handguns. "If you've shot a gun before, you have the first pick." Robin immediately pushed her way to the front of the line, picking out the heftiest gun available. On her tail was Lara and Charlie, and surprisingly Maia joined them as well. One by one, each girl grabbed a gun that caught their attention and carefully appreciated it.

"If I see a single finger on a trigger, you'll be sorry. Save it for above deck." Cordelia eyed every one of the girls as they fiddled with their pistols. At some point Florence joined in, donning a random gown and leaving it unlaced.

There were over half the guns still left in her drawer when everyone had picked theirs out. Cordelia gathered a plain petticoat under her arm and picked a random gun from the drawer. She led the way up the numerous flights of stairs to the deck. Once in the open air, Cordelia quickly fastened the petticoat around her trousers, looking quite ridiculous. She wasn't naked by any means, but the presence of the petticoat being exposed seemed to lack some decorum.

All the girls were lined up in front of Cordelia. She asked that all guns be placed in front of them, laid out on the floorboards. She pointed her gun at the sky while she demonstrated the safety measures needed to properly operate it. Within an hour, she had the women aiming off into the horizon and firing their guns to get used to the sound and feel. Her strongest advice was to try to keep their arms as rigid as possible, while still bending to allow for recoil. It was difficult to get a feel for the explosive power behind the handgun. The women who manned the cannon's adopted it much faster, but it was still quite a stark change.

At some point, Cordelia had rolled an empty barrel to the bow and carved with a small knife, a bullseye. She took care to remove anything valuable from the area before calling out to everyone to ceasefire. Leading by example, Cordelia stood among the women. She aimed at the barrel in front of them all and shot once. Like a well-practiced pirate, she hit the center of her rudimentary bullseye.

"Your turn," she said flatly to nobody in particular. The girls naturally created a line and took turns firing at the barrel. Most missed completely, but a few lucky hits were made followed by excited squeals.

Joyce was one of those lucky hits, and the exhilaration overwhelmed her. "I did it!" she squealed. "I hit the barrel!" Victoria jumped to her friend and hugged her tightly.

"Watch the guns!" Cordelia snapped at the two of them, but a faint smile pulled at her lips.

The girls practiced their aim for what must've been more than an hour. Cordelia wouldn't let them stop until everyone at least hit the barrel, let alone the bullseye. She then made everyone empty the ammo out of their guns, just to practice drawing the guns from their petticoats. Once again, she led by example, verbalizing what she did. Burying the gun between layers of fabric, and the swift and well-practiced motion of reaching through those fibers to grab the gun and aim it at an attacker. She made it look easy.

The sun was starting to hang low in the west by the time Cordelia was satisfied with their skills. Their movements were a bit clumsy and jerky, but the principle was there. Hopefully, they wouldn't even need to use this on St. Martin.

There was no time for the girls to change out of their dresses before Jonas held his ship-wide meeting. It was difficult, but every crew member had managed to squeeze onto the main deck. It was shoulder-to-shoulder, with Jonas standing up at the helm with Cordelia at his right hand.

The speech was less of a speech and more of a battle plan. It seemed they were going to either reform a deal with the governor or cause absolute mayhem. Half the crew was going to stay on the ship to have cannons aimed at the port city, and the other half including the girls were going to be a show of force to the governor's estate. They explained that the girls were meant to blend in and seem like normal guests of the estate. Jonas assured them that many members of society spent the season at the estate. At best, they would be underestimated due to their sex if they were found out.  
The crew lingered for a short time after the battle plan before Cordelia kicked them all back to their stations in order to continue training the ladies. They practiced their quick draw from the petticoats for hours in the heat of the day. As the sun began to fall low in the sky, a faint line of land appeared on the horizon.

"You've done well, ladies. We go to shore after dark. Take the next hour to complete your disguises and make the necessary preparations. I'll need two leaders to make sure everyone is in acceptable condition before leaving. Any volunteers?"  
There was a moment of apprehension before Brett raised her hand. "Is that all?" Cordelia asked, strangely patient. Celandine quickly shot hers up too.

"That will have to do. You have one hour before we board the rowboats." Cordelia waved her hand lazily, and with heavy feet secluded herself in the shared cabin with Jonas.

Some women might have enjoyed taking the time to get dolled up but attempting to get 18 girls completely dressed with makeup and hair was a large undertaking. Below deck in the yellow room, all 18 women scrambled to get powder, hair clips, wigs, petticoats, and every other necessity in order. Several women had never even used face powder, so their friends helped them with every step.

Cordelia was also getting made up, on her own in the cabin, while Jonas fastened his coattails in the same mirror. His suit was white, with gold threading, his dark hair inky black in contrast with his shirts.

Cordelia's dress was a powdered pink, with dainty silver lacing and large ostentatious bows. She'd altered the neckline from its original modest height and long poofy sleeves, but for this occasion, she tied them on over the dress she'd originally designed. She powdered her face into a blank white canvas, before applying pink pigment to her cheeks, eyes, and most importantly her lips. "What do you think, Jonas?" She asked as she applied a beauty mark to her cheek. Her hair was clipped tightly to her scalp; the vibrant red curls tried to escape their bonds.

"I think you look lovely as always." He glanced up and gave her a soft smile. She couldn't ignore the stress in his eyes.

"Jonas," she cooed, "Tonight should be fun. Don't be so much of a grump. You look dashing."

She was in character: the costume, the makeup- all that was left was her wig. She held her arms out to the sides like she was floating, and with great exaggeration, she tip-toed over to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. He smiled but wiped the makeup off of his cheek with his palm. "I can't have Amberly see me with another woman's makeup on my cheek," he jokingly scolded.

"Amberly has always been a bitch anyway. And you only have room in your life for one woman anyway, so hmph." Cordelia feigned jealousy as she placed her tall powdered wig upon her head.

"That's not true, considering I currently have 18 other women aboard as we speak."

Cordelia gave a slight chuckle, before adding some last minute… accessories. Like some strange satire of high society, Jonas offered Cordelia his arm and they exited the cabin together to find a large crowd of ladies and pirates looking nothing like themselves. They were dressed in the finery they'd stolen throughout the years and had managed to make a convincing troupe. Rowboats were being lowered into the still waters below. Being of such a sizable and recognizable ship, the crew had hidden the Jewel of Hades some couple miles along the coast, out of view from the port's lookouts.

"We'll have to sneak into the estate. We've done it plenty of times, and typically the security has been less than impressive. There's always far too many guests and far too few guards," Cordelia assured the girls. She spoke with a high-English lilt, fully immersed in her character. You could tell this is what she enjoyed the most about being a pirate.

Zephora stood out amongst the women. She was the only one other than Cordelia who had a powdered wig on. Several large feathers stuck out from its towering curls, matching the reds and blacks of her dress.

The other girls had skillfully heightened their hair as well, but it was far more downplayed than the wigs that Cordelia and Zephora sported. The crowd of pirates and ladies climbed aboard several rowboats and began the journey to shore.

Joyce was shaking and fighting hard to hide it. Every time she glanced up, Florence was staring at her. Joyce thought that she would be ready to leave, ready to abandon this mess of insanity the moment she got there, but guilt weighed heavily on her. The girls she'd grown so attached to over the last few months would be left with the pirates they'd known for a week. They couldn't all possibly leave, despite what Jonas had promised them the other night. The pirates would never allow it- why go through the trouble of kidnapping and housing them if they weren't there to serve their purpose. _To find his successor_ , Joyce recalled Jonas saying to them. It was ridiculous to think that Jonas truly wanted to find a pirate captain among these women. Certain ones, namely Florence who was boring holes through Joyce's head, maybe could become captain, but it wasn't a woman's job. It wasn't a woman's place. It was even superstitious to have women aboard a ship at all. There must've been another reason, one more sinister. They were pirates after all. They couldn't be trusted to tell the truth, especially to captives.

Joyce reminded herself of this constantly as they came closer and closer to shore. Anything to keep the guilt from paralyzing her. One glance at her friends Celandine and Victoria was enough to make her sick.

As they came closer to the ports, there was a particular liveliness that the town seemed alive with. There were various strings of mismatched music that floated on the breeze and loud hollers of drunken men and women. The sun had completely set by now, and the town had a candlelit glow that permeated every alley. It was alive with merriment.

The group was silent, a rare moment among pirates, as they watched the shore for lookouts. They pulled up on the sand behind a fort wall. Four pirates stayed behind with the boats, guarding their escape route. Governor Schreave's mansion was positioned on the inland side of the fort, to protect it in case of an attack from the sea. Unfortunately for them, it provided a route along the outer wall that led to the main gardens of the mansion.

Two pirates ran ahead, in full society garb, to check the hedge entrance. The girls in the entourage hiked their skirts and petticoats above their ankles and carefully avoided any muddy patches of grass. A few moments later, the two scouts ran back and gave their report to Jonas and Cordelia, out of earshot for the rest of the group.

Upon hearing it, Jonas and Cordelia quickened their pace towards the hedges in front of them. The music grew in volume and the hum of voices became more distinct. They peered through an archway in the hedges to find the gardens full of guests, more than usual. Each one had a mask over their faces and a large table with a tiered display of masks was available for guests to choose from. "This just became much easier," Jonas said with a grin.

* * *

 **Big oof.**

 **Okay. So nursing school, working two jobs, volunteering on weekends, and taking care of my house is really hard. Who knew? Not me.**

 **Seriously though. This is incredible that I'm updating. Do you remember what this story was about because I seriously needed a refresher? lol jk**

 **I hope you enjoyed this! Some of my favorite scenes planned are coming up at this party, so I'm really excited to write them. This hurricane gave me the time to finish up some school work in order to write, and hopefully, it doesn't take another hurricane to keep me writing.**

 **Also, Discord. Please let my OCs live. I gave you what you want!**

 **Love every one of you, and I really appreciate every reader for this story. :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 16**

Jonas held his arm out for Cordelia to take it and led the group into the courtyard. They fanned out, each going to a table to pick out a masquerade mask. Many girls picked ones that matched their dresses, but a few, namely Robin, Lara, and Florence, just grabbed the closest plain black mask.

The pirates accompanying the ladies stuck close by. The masks let the women blend in which meant that the pirates didn't take their eyes off of them, each following within a few feet. An unofficial order was picked up by the pirates to pick one woman in particular and make sure she didn't get into trouble.

Slowly but steadily, the members of the Jewel of Hades entered the estate's main hall. The ceilings towered above them and thick velvet red curtains hung from the long windows every few feet. The crowd thickened as a large number of guests entered the narrow hallway, and Cordelia's large white wig blended in with the socialites of St. Martin. The hall led up an expansive staircase that opened into a laughably big ballroom. You could fit every island resident into this room, with a generous amount of space to spare. At the far end of the room, a landing with three empty chairs overlooked the room, most likely for the governor's family.

"Well, well, Clarkson's been busy. This room looks less like it belongs to the governor and more like it belongs to the king of France," Jonas remarked to Cordelia.

" _Hmph,_ " she gave an unamused chuckle and pursed her painted lips. "I think he may end up owing us a little more than a treaty. Perhaps a few luxuries as well?"

You could hear the governor's laugh from every corner of the ballroom. His deep bellied whooping was so distinctive, especially when followed by the soft cacophony of numerous other polite chuckles in response. In the center of the room, a large frosted cake with multiple tiers was the centerpiece of the occasion, with the governor's daughter's name in cursive icing.

Jonas quickly surveyed the room for his crew. Several women were clustered into circles, uncomfortable in such a social setting, while Joyce, Celandine, and Victoria were already socializing with other women, pretending that they belonged.

"Is it Maxine's birthday?" Cordelia asked Jonas.

"I don't think so," Jonas said, "There's no age on the cake, no celebratory decorations, nothing to suggest that. It's definitely a ball for Maxine, but I'm not sure why."

A servant walked by with a tray of wine, and Cordelia grabbed one for herself. She daintily sipped it, which garnered a laugh from Jonas, watching this wild woman feign sophistication. As they walked, they found Nell, appraising the large centerpiece cake, identifiable by the orange dress that Cordelia loaned her. She hadn't seen Cordelia and Jonas approaching, and took her finger across the frosting and then into her mouth.

Cordelia was about to confront her to scold her for such childish behavior, but Jonas tightened his arm, keeping her in place. "Let her be. She's enjoying herself."

Cordelia didn't respond but did guide the two of them away from the cake, leaving Nell to the frosting. Slowly, Cordelia began to identify her own wardrobe among the crowd, spotting the masked ladies mingling with every guest. Several ladies were close to Nell, eyeing the cake with a deprived hunger in their eyes. Zephora was the most visible, charming multiple men with her seductive aura and immodest red dress. She would laugh at every remark the surrounding men told her, letting her fingers graze her exposed decolletage. She worked the individuals around her, and the pirate shadowing her stood outside of the convergence of men, and his arms were crossed impatiently.

Joyce wasn't close, she was interacting with the socialites, pretending that she was back in England and that she had never been kidnapped. For this brief snapshot in time, she was able to forget the stress she was under. She was approaching the governor's socially elite friends. The wine flowed more freely the deeper into the crowd she went. Victoria and Celandine trailed her- Joyce was clearly the most experienced in society despite the fact that they had all been members of English high society.

A young woman who looked quite bored was standing at the outskirts of a large group of older men and women. She angrily swiped at a tray of wine, and was quickly chugging alcohol. None of the other people around her seemed to mind or even notice. Joyce and Celandine noticed but their upbringing prevented them from saying anything, but Victoria could not hold her tongue. She approached the young woman and was completely ignored by the elders around them. "If you're going to drink like that, at least have a friend to join you." Victoria also took a glass of wine from a passing tray and chugged it as well. The girl's eyes widened slightly but maintained her bored affect.

"Do I know you?" She spat.

Victoria dabbed the corner of her mouth after finishing the glass. "No. Lady Victoria Kesselbrooke, pleasure."

Her cool confidence surprised the woman, who responded, "Lady Maxine Schreave, daughter to the governor of St. Martin.

Victoria hid her shock well, giving a soft smile. Joyce, who was standing behind her, gently grazed Victoria's wrist, as if to say ' _We shouldn't be talking to her'_. They were too close to the fire, and if Jonas saw them speaking with the governor's family he might think they were interfering with them.

Victoria didn't care though. Maxine wasn't her the governor and Victoria could possibly gain some insight from a naive girl.

"What's the celebration for? I'm sorry I came with my father, and he never tells me much at all," Victoria claimed, trailing off at the end.

"Oh," Maxine seemed surprised at Victoria's ignorance, but it touched a subject Victoria was sure that Maxine would relate to, given her apathy before she introduced herself. "My father is presenting me to society officially. He has invited the most influential suitors of the Carribean to stay, as I'm expected to find a husband soon."

Victoria nodded, and noted the presence of older people around them, most likely the parents of the suitors who were mingling with the governor some several feet away. In the same manner, as her own marriage, her parents co-ordinated most of the details, leaving the young people in the background as pawns to advance themselves in society.

"Have you met any yet?"

"No," she pouted. "They're going to be introduced in a little while at the party."

Victoria knew that this information could be useful to Jonas. Over her time with the pirates, one thing stuck with her. Pirates made everything up as they went along, and it drove her insane.

"Fantastic. Until then, you should have some fun as a bachelorette. Join us for some cake?" Victoria hooked her arm with Maxine and motioned for Joyce and Celandine to follow.

"Mother says cake goes straight to my hips."

"What your mother doesn't know won't hurt. Party cake doesn't count," Celandine interjected with a girlish giggle.

"Uhm," Joyce paused. "I'll catch up with you all. I need to find the ladies room." She split from her friends, eyeing Florence, who was staring her down between guests in the crowd. Florence walked away, meaning for Joyce to follow her through the crowd. They met by the wall, where Florence started pulling at the bodice of her gown, irritated by its impractical nature.

"This worked better than anticipated. We can sneak out now while everyone is distracted."

"But-" Joyce started.

"But nothing. Let's go."

Florence began walking towards the exit, grabbing Joyce by the forearm. The music stopped, and the crowd stopped mingling, leaving an expectant silence. Florence stopped in her tracks, her instinct kicking in to hide against the wall and stay still, and Joyce followed suit.

The governor was by the throne-like chairs, and his wife stood next to him. "I'd like to welcome everybody to my humble home. We are gathered here, my wife Amberly and I, to celebrate my daughter Maxine. I'd like to introduce the young men that have offered their hand in marriage to her."

The governor was a portly man, with a white wig on top of his head. He swung his arm to the left, the gold jewelry on his wrist jingling. A footman announced each man one by one. As he said each name, Florence nudged Joyce. "Everyone's distracted by this. We must go now." Light clapping and murmurs among the crowd muffled their movement.

Joyce bowed her head, slightly ashamed by her abandonment of her friends. Meeting Maxine a moment ago reminded Joyce of the life she was meant to have. She was the Jamaican governor's daughter. Not a pirate.

The footman's voice seemed to resonate louder and filled the room. " _Adrian McLean of Jamaica_." Joyce stopped in her tracks. She whipped her head toward the front of the room and saw him. The love of her life. He descended the stairs slowly, his face blank and stern. His full cheeks supported dark circles under his eyes, and his normally radiant, ever-present smile was gone. Joyce was unsure if her heart was going to leap out of her chest at the sight of him or break. He was Maxine's suitor. _Why was he Maxine's suitor?_

Joyce ripped her arm out of Florence's grasp. " _Joyce!_ " Florence growled at her, her nails raking along Joyce's skin. It was useless though. Joyce stumbled into the crowd, tripping on her skirt to get to the front of the room. She pushed past lords and ladies who gasped at her rudeness, but she didn't pay them any mind. At the front of the crowd, she stopped. Adrian approached the line of suitors on the stage but stopped in his tracks. His eyes fixed on Joyce and he turned white as a ghost. Joyce stood expectantly. Her heart hoped he would break away from the line and run to her.

Instead, his wide eyes shot to the ground. His pallor verged on green and he looked like he might be sick. He stood in line, avoiding her gaze.

Tears welled in Joyce's eyes, emotion overcoming her. She turned to run back, her mind foggy with confusion, but Cordelia stood directly behind her.

"What's all this about?" Cordelia asked quietly. Her brows were furrowed but the worry was evident in her eyes. She cared for the girls, despite her harsh demeanor.

Joyce couldn't speak. If she opened her mouth, a sob would escape. She put her head down, trying to keep a low profile and headed for the nearest doorway away from the ballroom. Cordelia attempted to follow, but the presentation of the suitors was over. As the crowd began moving again, Cordelia lost her sightline on Joyce. "Damn," Cordelia berated herself. She scanned the crowd one more time before giving up and going back to Jonas. "Joyce ran off," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"She was crying, I'm not sure why, and I lost her in the crowd." Jonas furrowed his brows and began to walk off like he was going to find her, but Cordelia stepped in his way. "You need to stay here. I'll go. We need to come up with a plan to corner the governor. Focus on that."

As Cordelia ran off in search of Joyce, Jonas continued to scan the room. The governor had quickly disappeared after the presentation of the suitors, while Maxine stood on stage, looking like she was going to vomit as a couple of suitors talked over each other at her.

"Considering this is a ball, would you like to dance?" a voice said behind him.

Jonas turned to see Maia and smiled. She wore a gorgeous two-piece ball gown, looking quite exotic and out of place among the powdered ladies of the court, but gorgeous nonetheless. "Of course, love." He held out his hand, which she took and wrapped his other arm around her exposed midriff. He guided her to the main dance floor and turned her to face him, his fingers gliding over her skin giving her goosebumps. With refined grace, he danced with her, following the same routine as the surrounding dance partners and leading her. She was not as practiced but caught on quickly.

"You seem quite elegant- for a pirate," she remarked with a smirk.

He jokingly hushed her. "I'm not a pirate here, love. Not yet. The night's still young." Maia felt her cheeks warm, unsure if the wine she'd sipped earlier was starting to affect her or if she was reading into his words too much.

"I think that is what concerns me the most about you, Captain Jonas. You are not like the pirates I've heard about, and you definitely don't remind me of the legends of the Pirate King of the Jewel of Hades. Were any stories I heard true?"

Jonas smiled as if recalling an inside joke. "I guess it depends on the stories you heard."

Maia, frustrated by his aloofness, but also entertained with the banter gave him a playful smack on the forearm, barely hard enough to feel beneath his suit jacket. The song finished, and Jonas led Maia without a word toward the open courtyard. There were only a handful of guests in the doorway, and none in the late summer night air, as the candles were starting to burn down outside and the servants providing the free wine were among the ballroom crowd. She was about to tease him again, about how improper it was to be alone with a man, but the sound of giggles came from behind a bush.

Jonas and Maia looked at each other in shared surprise, and Maia held a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Jonas held a finger to his lips and led the two of them to the side of the bush. Maia gave some resistance, the British upbringing in her offended that Jonas would want to intrude on someone like that, but reminded herself that she was with Jonas. He was a literal pirate and she was certain that the lovers behind the bush would not see them from the angle Jonas approached at.

Jonas crept forward, but at the sight of the couple in partial disarray, he stood straight and let out a disbelieving chuckle. "Amberly?" he said, clear as day.

The couple stopped immediately, and the man quickly pushed himself off the ground and ran off in the dark.

The woman stood, quickly tying the strings on her bodice to their original tightness, bowing her head to hide her face. "Amberly, is that you?" Jonas laughed incredulously.

The governess's head look up and fixated on Jonas. Her painted makeup was smeared and her hair was unravelling within her elaborate braid. She froze like one of the garden statues, unsure of what to do. Her words escaped like she'd seen death. "How are you here?"

Jonas laughed like he'd just won a hand of poker. Jonas pulled Maia in by the waist grinning widely. Amberly's breath quickened and like a scared mouse, she tried to run, getting caught on her petticoat. It wouldn't have mattered though, because as soon as she turned, Jonas had his pistol out and aimed at her. "Ah ah ah. Amberly, have some class. What kind of hostess doesn't offer to give her guests a tour?" Jonas let go of Maia's waist and approached Amberly who clutched her petticoat in her fists. "Where's your husband?"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **I was going to make this chapter much longer but I was already nearing my normal limit and there was so much more to the ball scene that I decided to split it into two.**

 **Let me know what you think! Part of me is so excited to get this story on paper that I worry it seems unorganized.**

 **But I appreciate all the feedback! It helps me improve! Until next time!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 17**

Florence's panicked breaths sounded deafening. The guards blocking the servant's exits had her paranoid, and she could feel herself getting lost in the expansive hallways of the estate. No party-goers were present this deep in the house. Her plan was quickly falling to pieces.

"Shit, shit, _shit._ "

She had abandoned the shoes from Cordelia's closet. They were too big for her feet and began causing blisters as she ran so she quickly disposed of them in a large urn-like vase. She couldn't have anybody following her breadcrumb trail of shoes.

Should she find Joyce? She couldn't decide. Joyce was supposed to be her leverage- her hostage. At this point though, she needed to just escape before Jonas or Cordelia went searching for her.

 _Free to leave, my ass._ Florence thought to herself. No way would any self-respecting pirate just let their slaves go. Florence wasn't stupid.

Paranoid maybe, but not stupid. She might've been able to live among them, under different circumstances, but she had a job to do. Florence's hand went to her lower back, where her father's tricorn hat was squished under her corset. It gave her a bulky appearance, but she was skin and bones anyway so nobody spared her a second look. It reminded her of the life she left behind and the life she knew she had to forge on her own.

She rounded another corner, only to be faced with another ridiculously long hallway. Frustration bubbled up in her stomach. She wanted to shout in irritation, but the stakes were growing higher. Behind her, she heard whoops of laugher from tipsy party guests who were beginning to explore the estate out of late-night boredom. " _No, no, no, no…_ " she whispered under her breath and began sprinting down the hallway.

Running was awkward with the gown on. She missed her trousers and boots dearly at this moment. Her bare feet were raw and sore, but the problem was in the layers of petticoat that were weighed down with firearms and various other weapons. There was no way she was going to leave behind her best defenses and best disguise, but the weight was dragging her down.

A stray piece of gauzy petticoat found its way under her foot, and Florence sucked in a gasp of air as she tumbled to the ground. Her head smacked the tile with a deafening crack and her vision went spotty.

 _Get up._

Her body didn't listen.

 _Get UP._

All she could manage was to roll onto her back. She felt warmth on her hair. She reached up and her hand came back with sticky red blood coating it. Suddenly, she didn't feel upset or paranoid. She felt somewhat calm like she didn't need to run anymore. This felt peaceful. All the chaos crowding her thoughts faded away. She stared up at the scalloped ceilings. A shadow blocked her sightline, but she didn't care to focus on it. It was probably a concerned party guest.

That was fine. Strangely, Florence was no longer worried about being caught. If anything, now she wanted to be found.

Her thoughts were jumbled. Was that person still there? Did they leave her to pass out alone?

Did she want to be alone? Yes. Wait, no.

Black spots fluttered in her vision. Were her eyes closing? No, she couldn't close them, or could she not open them? It was hard to tell.

"Well, this is fortunate," a silky voice echoed in her head. "Lucky for me, you didn't go too far."

A garbled moan escaped from Florence's mouth that she couldn't recognize as coming from herself.

"Shh, shhh." A gentle hand ran through her blood-saturated hair. "One moment more, love."

Florence's eyes were still shut. She was certain they were closed now. A metaphorical veil lifted from her mind, and the first thing she could understand was that she was in pain. It was stabbing and felt like a lightning storm behind her eyes. It was so strong, she had to open them.

She sucked in a gasp of air, shooting straight up. She was sitting on the floor, her petticoat surrounding her. At first, she thought she'd been dreaming. Had she passed out? Had she imagined the man's voice?

"Careful now, love." No. She hadn't imagined it. She turned, expecting to see Jonas's smug face, but it wasn't him. There was a man she wasn't acquainted with. Her foggy mind had trouble placing him and she furrowed his brows.

"Oh," he feigned disappointment. "Don't tell me I didn't make a strong enough first impression!"

Images flashed in her mind. Stabbing a naval soldier, sword waving in their faces, unstable laughing and Cordelia and Jonas standing their ground on the deck of the ship.

The smell of incense filled her nose. It was sweet and reminded her of home- of her father's ship. She stared at the man, with his impossibly high cheekbones, full lips, and mischievous eyes.

"Daemon." The name escaped her lips as if put there by him.

"Pleased to make your formal acquaintance." He mimicked a little bow with a twirl of his wrist. "You took a little tumble. I patched you up." Florence's hand flew to her head, still sticky with blood, but not in any pain. Daemon's face faltered from the angelic visage, and Florence sensed the insidious nature behind those eyes. "Let's talk."

* * *

"Maia, go back to the ballroom. Tell the girls to be ready," Jonas ordered, his face twisted into an amused smirk.

She hesitated, "Ready for what?"

"You all will know when you see it. Just be on guard."

Maia ran back into the house, making sure to not be conspicuous.

"Jonas," Amberly's voice was low and fearful. "Jonas, remember what we've done for you."

A bark of a laugh erupted from him, "What you've done for me? Remember what I've done for you! The island of St. Martin has been under my protection for over a decade. I've always had a soft spot for you, Amberly, don't forget that."

Amberly looked at Jonas, her downturned eyes giving away her emotions. She was scared, but also did not believe that Jonas would ever harm her, even after all this time. This was her ace in the hole. "Jonas, I thought you abandoned me. I couldn't defend you to Clarkson anymore… he's become obsessed-"

"Then he is a _fool!_ " Jonas cut her off, the pistol shaking in his hand. "Get up!" Her legs began to tremble, but she stood up slowly. "Take me to Clarkson," he ordered.

Amberly's hands were up in compliant surrender, and she slowly began leading him through the garden, toward a side door. Jonas approached her from behind, pressing the pistol against her lower back. Her arms fell, trying to assume a natural gait.

There was the sound of running footsteps from the main hall, and Jonas tensed beside Amberly. Robin and Maia both emerged from the entrance. Jonas relaxed slightly. "What are you two doing here?"

"I couldn't pass this up," Robin chirped with a mischievous grin.

Jonas didn't argue. There was no controlling every one of them. It was like a herd of cats. Plus, Robin was someone who could carry her own weight, Jonas thought.

The group of four navigated the hallways, led by Amberly. They didn't encounter any guards, who were mainly guarding the non-garden entrances and the main ballroom for drunken men who may be punch-happy. They climbed a servant's stairwell, which led into the bedroom hallways. There was a large door at the end of the room. Jonas said nothing but recognized it as the Governor's bedroom. He didn't need Robin and Maia asking questions regarding his history with Amberly. They stopped outside the door and heard muffled voices inside. Two, maybe three people. Few enough that Jonas felt comfortable interrupting with only the three of them armed.

He motioned with his gun to have Robin and Maia take out their weapons. They quickly, as practiced, pulled their firearms from their dresses many layers. Robin, in particular, looked ridiculous with her short boyish hair, white dress, and large pistol.

On the finger count of three, Robin burst through the door, followed by Amberly, Jonas, and then Maia. They immediately trained their pistols on anyone they saw, but then the action stopped. Jonas's initial confusion turned into uncontrollable laughter.

In the room, Clarkson was hiding behind two muscular young men. The three men were completely nude and had pulled the bedsheets to cover themselves.

Robin and Maia, clearly uncomfortable, watched as Jonas attempted to stop his laughter but failed. "Amberly!" He shouted mid-laugh. "No wonder you're a whore in queen's clothing!" Amberly's face was bright red, and she bore holes into the carpet with her eyes, refusing to look anywhere else. Her face was twisted in both complete embarrassment and irritation.

"What is the meaning of this! Get out at once!" Clarkson attempted to hide his face from view, but his voice was unmistakable. He pointed at the group and peeked over the edge of the sheet mid-sentence. "If you do not leave at once I will call th-," he stopped short. Both of the men, who Maia recognized as suitors presented earlier in the evening for Clarkson's daughter, looked at the governor for guidance.

The room stood still, with just the sound of Jonas's muffled giggles. "Hello Clarkson," Jonas teased.

"Darling, I had no choice-" Amberly started to defend herself to her husband, before Jonas's hand on her shoulder silenced her.

"My friend. I don't believe I could've interrupted you at any better time. Who've known that you liked younger men as much as your wife does?" Clarkson said nothing in response to Jonas's childlike teasing. Jonas turned his gun from Amberly to Clarkson and slowly approached, his amused smile quickly fading into a sneer. He stopped short at the end of the large canopy bed.

Clarkson finally cleared his throat. "Captain Jonas," he stated. "What has the port of Saint Martin done to deserve a diplomatic visit from the Jewel of Hades' most revered captain?"

"Enough ass-kissing, Clarkson. Save it for your studs."

Clarkson laid the bedsheet down over his chest, revealing his face entirely. He put his hands in the air in surrender and began sputtering out apologies, only to be cut off by Jonas firing a gunshot into the ceiling.

Amberly screamed and dove to the floor, and the two suitors dove out from either side of the bed, landing on the floor and protecting their vulnerable areas with their hands.

"I do believe it's time we rejoined the party," said Jonas.

" _Get up you swine!"_ Robin shouted at the governor, a giant grin adorning her face. Maia followed suit, her shoulders back and her head high as she shouted orders for Amberly. Jonas stood menacingly in the middle of the two women, not moving a muscle. He let them make the orders, a small smile turning up the corner of his mouth. The three men hurriedly pulled their trousers over their bare bottoms, and Robin shouted at them for taking their sweet time.

The three pirates held the four of them, Amberly, Clarkson, and the two suitors at gunpoint as they marched down the hallways to the main ballroom. Their nightshirts were not even tucked into their trousers, and their bare feet slapped the tile as they stumbled forward.

"Excellent job, mates," Jonas said under his breath, only for Robin and Maia to hear, proud of his new crew members.

* * *

There was an emptiness in the hallways that Joyce felt comfortable in. Numbness had taken the place of her confusion. She didn't know why she saw him, why he was here, or why he had turned away from her gaze. Nothing made sense anymore, and in all honesty, it was giving her a headache.

Or maybe she had a headache from all the crying. She wiped her palm over her cheek to wipe the tears away that slowly and steadily flowed. She was in a servant's hallway, abandoned earlier in the night once the party had begun, she was sure. There were many such hallways at her grandmother's old estate in England. She would hide for hours there, avoiding the lectures and lessons.

A small bucket of dishwater sat still in the corner. She approached it, disturbed by the image of melted makeup and bloodshot eyes that was reflected back at her. Without thinking, she took a handful of the water and splashed her face, rubbing away the oily makeup. The soap in the water quickly cleaned her face, revealing a pale complexion that would've been pleasant despite the reddened eyes.

She sucked in a shaky sigh, her sobs beginning to subside for a moment. Wandering around to distract her mind seemed to be the only thing to do. She didn't want to think if she would take this opportunity to leave the crew of the Jewel, or if she actually preferred the pirate life to returning home to Jamaica without her future husband being there to greet her. There was nothing to look forward to anymore, she thought.

She reached for a random handle at the end of the servant's hall.

A large cloud of smoke emerged as she opened the door even wider to get a better look. The room was hazy, and hard to look into, but it was clear that it was a servant's entrance into a social parlor. There was a small buzz of men's voices. Once her eyes adjusted to the smokey air, she noted that there were probably 10 or 12 noblemen in the room. The voices slowly died down until everyone was looking at the disheveled woman who'd just walked in. "Oh!" She squeaked. "Pardon me! I must've gotten lost!" Hurriedly, she shut the door and began walking the other way down the servant's hall. She heard the door open behind her and she quickened her pace. She didn't want to be questioned or get mistaken for a servant and beaten. She'd seen enough of her grandmother's punishments for disobedient maids to know how that would turn out.

She heard footsteps behind her quicken and she broke out into a sprint, her eyes beginning to water in fear.

"Wait!" A man's voice shouted, but she could only hear her heart pounding.

"Wait, Joyce!"

Her feet felt like stone at the sound of her name, and her heart stopped for what felt like the thousandth time tonight. She turned around suddenly to see the man following her but lost her balance. She stepped back to catch herself but a devilish stray stool caught her ankle and she began to fall backward. Joyce prepared to land on her bottom, her heart leaping into her throat as her hand reached out to grab anything at all.

She felt a hand wrap around her wrist and swept her up before she met the ground.

Before she could catch a breath, she was caught up in Adrian's embrace. Tears began to flow freely, and a flood of emotions welled up in her chest.

"Joyce," he said softly, looking her up and down in disbelief.

Something took hold of her that felt foreign. Something that she'd never have done to Adrian before. She pushed with all her strength against his chest to break his embrace and slapped him firmly across his cheek.

" _What in the hell are you doing here!?"_ She wailed.

Adrian stood there in disbelief, his hand hovering over his reddened cheek. His mouth was agape and his eyes wider than a dinner plate.

"What am I doing here? What are _you_ doing here!" He shouted back at her, his chest now heaving as adrenaline pumped through his system. "You were _dead_ _!"_

Joyce's lip quivered, and she flustered over her words.

"Well," she paused, trying to think of a response. "Well, I'm not!" A broken sob escaped her chest. She began to hyperventilate and she wrapped her arms around herself and fell to her knees, unable to stand the waves of emotions overcoming her.

As she cried a gentle hand touched her shoulder. When she didn't slap it away, Adrian knelt down with her and embraced her. His own slow tears fell into her perfumed hair.

Joyce didn't know how long they sat there, crying in each other's arms. Adrian finally spoke up, softer than a whisper, "What happened to you?"

Joyce was about to explain everything, from the day of the abduction to her weeks aboard the Jewel of Hades, but a clear voice interrupted them.

"Joyce," a woman said. It was soft but not timid. It held a tone of accusation in it, but also understanding.

Joyce looked up to see Cordelia whose eyes flew from Joyce to Adrian and back again. Her prim and proper look and a large powdered wig could not conceal the natural wild look in her eyes.

"Cordelia," Joyce stood like a child caught red-handed. "Cordelia I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before."

"Who is this man?" The protective side of Cordelia was rising, she slightly bared her teeth, staring Adrian down.

Joyce rushed to Cordelia. "It's okay. It's okay, this is Adrian. He's my…" she trailed off, not knowing if they were still engaged. Maybe when he signed up to be one of Maxine's suitors, he'd broken off his engagement with Joyce.

"Fiancé," he finished for her. He apprehensively approached Cordelia and offered her his hand to introduce himself, like the gentleman he was.

Cordelia did not take it. She stared at his hand, and then at him, he upper lip twitching. "I don't understand," she stated.

"Adrian and I met in England. We got engaged and planned on making a home in Jamaica. He crossed the Atlantic first, making sure everything was prepared before I made the journey," Joyce explained.

"But when the boat arrived in port," he started to trail off and took Joyce's hand. He looked at her like he was looking at a long lost love. "I thought she'd been killed by pirates- at least, that's what everyone on the boat said happened," Adrian turned his attention to Joyce, speaking to her instead of Cordelia. "Your father could not do anything for me, not without marrying you. It was his idea to have me marry another governor's daughter in order to provide for myself. He's been beside himself for weeks, but he treats me like the son he never had."

Seeing the looks shared between the two of them made Cordelia's stomach turn over. She'd seen that same shared look too many times, and though she was hardened by the sea, she still had a bit of a romantic left in her. _Thank God, Jonas isn't here. He'd be a total sap with them_ , Cordelia thought, making herself smile imperceptibly.

"Joyce, go back to Jamaica."

Both Adrian and Joyce looked at Cordelia. "Not that you need my permission of course. We told you that you were free to go if it was your wish. I'd be disappointed, but I realize that this is what you were meant to find. I will miss you."

Joyce smiled, and before Cordelia could protest, she wrapped her arms around her in a large bear hug. A tense Cordelia succumbed and hugged her back.

"Oh!" Joyce stepped back. "Before I forget," she began rifling through the seams in her petticoat and pulled out one weapon after another, "I should give these back. As fun as they were, I don't think I'll need them anymore."

Cordelia, her arms now full of guns and shoving them into her already heavy skirt, chuckled to herself at Adrian's bewilderment. "Alright Adrian, you take care of our girl. I'd hate to have to shoot you."

Joyce laughed and took her paperwhite fiancé by the hand. One last hug and Cordelia turned and left, back to the ballroom.

The two of them were alone, finally together after so many months apart. It felt like a lifetime, but in reality, they had a lifetime to share together.

They made their way down numerous hallways, led by Adrian who had learned the layout during his stay. As they turned down the main foyer corridor, they heard the sound of bare feet running on the floor, walking behind them. Adrian didn't stop until Joyce came to a halt, looking behind her towards the noise.

"I have some business to finish with you!" Florence growled, echoing down the corridor.

"Florence, it's okay! Cordelia-"

Florence drew a gun from her side and pulled the hammer back, "Be quiet!" As she approached them, they noticed the matted hair and blood that had fallen down the side of her face. It was dried but still disconcerting.

"Your face, Florence, you need-"

" _I said be quiet!_ " she snapped. She looked unhinged, unstable. Adrian, fearing that Joyce may try to reason again with this deranged woman, stepped between them blocking Joyce from her. "Get. Out. Of my way!" The sound of a gunshot rang out, echoing down the corridor for nobody, absolutely no one at all, to hear.

* * *

 **So this chapter was decently long compared to my other chapters! Hopefully, that makes up for my update times, and the fact that I couldn't squeeze in too many characters at one this chapter, due to needing to get some major bits of plot in!**

 **There will be far more of everybody's characters in the next chapter, along with Jonas and the naughty naughty Governor Clarkson. Spoiler alert, this is gonna suck for Clarkson.**

 **I hoped everyone liked this chapter!**

 **Please review, it makes me feel warm and fuzzy when I write.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 18**

Umakoti sat in the far corner of the room, hoping to avoid attention. Many passing guests assumed she was a serving girl, not noticing her fine navy blue dress. The very few individuals that noticed she was dressed for the occasion, whispered to each other, kept their distance and shook their heads in disapproval.

 _Letting a serving girl dress up like that? It's just cruel really. She can't socialize like a normal girl._

The hurtful whispers didn't cease, and they weren't as discreet as they thought. Umakoti heard every word and clenched her fist with every disapproving look. They knew literally nothing about her. Nothing. Not her history, her hardship, or her life. She'd never say anything, but nothing made her disdain for high-class individuals worse than the blatant racism. They only saw a dark-skinned woman, nothing more. Her inky skin was a red flag for every passing guest. Maia and Olimpia had dark skin as well, but Olimpia had powdered her face to the point of passing, and Maia's tan skin was viewed as exotic and beautiful, being Indian rather than West African. _How hypocritical, that one brown is beautiful but another is repulsive_ , Umakoti thought.

Umakoti noticed Constance searching through the crowd, not caring to push past bejeweled women, their ornaments jingling as they got pushed. Constance made eye contact with Umakoti and waved her over.

"It's time, Jonas told everyone to get ready, but we're meeting by the front first." The two of them weaved through the crowd and met at the front, near the makeshift stage. Lara, Charlie, and Stella stood in the middle, taking charge in the absence of the Pirate King and Cordelia. Even the guarding pirates that were looking after the girls stayed submissive to the three women taking charge. None of them looked particularly happy about it but knew that it wasn't the time or place to make a fuss.

Lara was indicating to Charlie and Stella what to do, but her cold demeanor meant that she didn't want to give direct orders. With each girl that arrived at the front, Charlie and Stella sent them away in pairs, giving them an order.

Stella saw Constance and Umakoti approaching and waved them over. Lara muttered "Front corner, Servant's entrance." Stella nodded, and then clarified for the girls.

"Ladies, I need you to man that servant's door," Stella said, pointing discreetly at the small doorway on the corner of the stage. "Once you get there, don't let any servant's into the ballroom. Keep your weapons on hand, and don't let any guests out that way. Use any force necessary. Play it by ear, Jonas should be making a move at any moment now."

She dismissed the girls, and they were trailed by two crew members. Umakoti was starting to realize that they weren't in charge at all, they were just muscle, back up for the girls in case of any danger to them specifically. Jonas must've instructed them to only be supportive, not to make any decisions on their own, or maybe that was the way the Jonas led. There wasn't any allowance for crew members to make autonomous decisions, that his word was law, and they are simply behaving the same way in regards to the women under Jonas's protection. Regardless, the two men simply followed wordlessly.

Constance buried her hand into the skirt of her dress, grasping the pistol but not withdrawing it. Umakoti did the same. Constance stood facing the ballroom, while Umakoti focused more on the servants inside. She gently shut the door as a dark-skinned man approached with a tray of champagne. She shook her head and waved him away. For any other guest he might've insisted, but she saw the recognition in his eyes, seeing a woman of color watching out for him. He turned on his heel just as the door closed and she held the handle shut.

After a few moments, they were joined by Olimpia and Zylphia and their two crew guards. There weren't many exits, and it was clear that they were trying to make sure everything was properly covered. Umakoti was concerned that the four of them weren't the strongest and most vicious out of the group, but rationalized that not many guests would try and escape via the servant's quarters anyway.

"Constance!" Olimpia exclaimed. Zylphia was on her heel, popping her knuckles and glancing around at the guests nervously. She hushed her friend, and Olimpia lowered her head in nervous understanding. She bit her lip, and Constance pulled them both close. The group of eight by the door attempted to blend in, facing the crowd and keeping their weapons concealed beneath their many layers of clothing. In the faintest voice, Olimpia whispered, "And now we wait."

* * *

Cordelia approached the ballroom, coming back from saying goodbye to Joyce. She found herself approaching one of the many servant's doorways. This damn mansion was like a maze. How ridiculous. Cordelia appreciated her own level of ridiculous pomp and circumstance, but at least she didn't pretend she was the damn Queen of France like this family seemed to think they rivaled.

The sound of an approaching group of men backed her into a shadowed corner. Despite being dressed for the occasion, her instincts kicked in and she went into sneak mode. She glanced over her shoulder to watch the group, only to see three half-naked men being held at gunpoint, babbling like children. Behind the heaviest man, Jonas held a gun to his back, ignoring the please with a sneer on his face. What most people couldn't see, was the faintest pull of a smile on the corner of his mouth. The familiar rippling where his dimples began to reveal themselves was unmistakable, despite his hardened outward appearance.

Cordelia stepped out of the shadows, her hand going into her dress to grasp the gun, ready to aid her captain. He saw her emerge and the smile finally blossomed, glad to see her. "What do we have here?" Cordelia asked.

"A hungry little pig with an appetite for sausage," Robin grinned maliciously at the governor, who was red with fury and shame. He continued to babble for mercy and pleaded with the group of pirates to let him go.

The adjacent young men also babbled profusely, insistent that they were innocent and to not hurt them. It wasn't clear if they understood that they were hostages of a crew of pirates.

"Cordelia," Jonas got her attention, ready to give an order. She stood straighter and lifted her pistol. "I want you to keep the situation in the ballroom under control. Keep an eye on the crowd and make the first move if necessary."

"Aye, Captain." Cordelia marched ahead, trotting ahead as best she could in the heels she was wearing.

* * *

Cordayne had been grouped up with Caroline, Nell, and Zephora. The four of them were in charge of the main side door leading to the main part of the house. Cordayne glanced over to the main exit leading to the garden where Stella, Lara, Charlie, and Brett guarded. They were the strongest amongst the women in fighting skills, so it made sense that they were going to guard the main exit. Victoria and Celandine stood by the front of the crowd, near the stage. They were stationed there to prevent anyone from charging onto the stage in a riot. It wasn't likely, which is why there were only two. They had the advantage of getting an additional two pirate guards, the ones that originally guarded Maia and Robin before they left with Jonas.

"Something should've happened by now," Caroline whispered to nobody in particular. Cordayne didn't say anything but silently agreed. The Captain should've returned by now and she couldn't help but feel a pang of worry for him. Nell beside Cordayne felt a similar bite of anxiety, but neither woman verbalized their concerns.

Nell stood straighter and tapped her finger against the pistol inside her petticoat trying to quell her nerves. She felt the push of a calming hand against her side. Zephora looked straight ahead, but her bejeweled hand rested against Nell's skirt where her hand had been tapping. Nell looked up at her, giving a silent thank you to her.

Over the drunken roar of conversation a single "Ladies and Gentlemen!" rang out over the crowd. The attention of hundreds of guests turned toward the elevated staircase stage. The murmur of the crowd quickly diminished, as a single woman stood in the middle of the stage. The large white powdered wig increased her height by nearly a whole head, and the eccentric light pink gown sparkled in the chandelier light. Her brightly painted lips contrasted with her paper white skin color. Cordelia was unmistakable. The gentle clapping of the guests trickled through the crowd politely, unsure of who was on stage.

"May I kindly present the Governor of St. Martin, Clarkson Shreave!" She broadly clapped, ever the show-woman. The clapping in the crowd grew louder, but then the polite clapping turned to gasps of horror and shrieks from the gentlewomen in the crowd. One woman in an elaborate silver gown near the front of the crowd even fainted in the arms of her escort.

Before the party, Jonas, Maia, and Robin held three nude men at gunpoint. They had coverings over their nethers but were ultimately bare and immodest. Caroline audibly gasped and her hands flew to her mouth, quivering.

The governor held his head low in a futile attempt to remain unrecognized. Clearly, he was unsuccessful as nervous gossip quickly ran through the room.

 _"Why are they all nude?"_

 _"Are they servants of the king?"_

 _"Serves him right to get arrested."_

 _"The devil must have corrupted his mind."_

Many speculations of who not only Jonas was but why he was holding the naked governor hostage only grew more outrageous as the gossip continued.

Everyone was cut off by the booming voice of Jonas, almost impossibly loud in a space this large. "I am Captain Jonas of the Jewel of Hades, Pirate King of the Seven Seas, and the Devil's right hand man!" Silence rang out, his words echoing off of every wall.

"Your governor has done every one of you a disservice, placing you all in danger of my crew's retaliation. Unless he pledges fealty to my rule of the Carribean waters, the entire lot of you can start begging for your souls." More shrieks and cries traversed through the crowd, this time unruly.

The first handful of guests began pushing to the exits. Cordayne withdrew her pistol and brandished it in front of an elderly woman with cakey makeup. The woman immediately stopped trying to leave, a mix of horror and indignancy on her face. The older man on her left showed confusion at the sight of a finely dressed woman holding a weapon, his eyes flickering as the other girls withdrew them as well. The four of them and the four adjoining pirates took aim into the crowd. Nobody fired a shot, but the threat was there.

The cries turned into screams, and people pushed each other down, scrambling to check every exit only to find they were all guarded. Several people were being forced to the ground and trampled by the animalistic fear consuming the noble guests.

A deafening gunshot ran out, increasing the screams, and then two more in succession. The only muzzle flash seen came from Cordelia at the top of the stage, smoke billowing from the barrel of the gun. It captured the panicked attention of the crowd, who had all dropped to the ground in a feeble attempt for cover. "That's better," she said in a calm, commanding voice.

"Governor," Jonas said, "I think your guests are waiting for you. The promise?"

Schreave grumbled and stood taller, his pride consuming him.

Jonas clicked his tongue like a chiding parent. "Now, now. We have to learn to play nice, or people can get hurt, can't they?" His eyes flickered towards the suitor held hostage by Maia. There was hesitation though, and a frown appeared on his face. Another beat passed without Maia making any move.

Quick as a flash, Cordelia flicked the barrel of the gun to aim at the foot of Maia's hostage. She shot the weapon, getting surprised screams from the crowd that vanished into silence once again. All that was left was the sound of ringing in everyone's ears and the outcry from the man. His guttural cry of pain as he dropped to his side and held his ankle tightly made Cordayne nauseous. Not even the slightest show of remorse from either Cordelia or Jonas, but in all sense, these two had killed people. They were pirates. What's a gunshot to the foot compared to the brutal maiming of victims in the past? Cordayne's memory flashed to their first night aboard when Cordelia had shot Jonas in the chest as a form of tantrum. On stage, they looked like a calculating pair, capable of doing great damage as the perfect team.

What Cordayne expected to feel was disgust at the two of them rampaging together in her imagination, but instead, she felt some pangs of jealousy. She was unfamiliar with the life of pirating, but the thought of becoming so close to somebody that they would always have you back, through life and death, made her wish for a love like that. She knew that this wasn't the only side to Jonas, remembering the sunrise on the bow of the ship and his strong grip keeping her from falling, and being able to completely trust him to keep her safe when one slip would've meant her watery demise.

Cordayne was pulled back to the present at the sound of the governor's terrified sobs. "Don't hurt me, don't hurt them! Please, I'll do what you want, just tell me what that is!"

Jonas's full grin emerged, "Excellent."

* * *

 **So this chapter I probably wrote over the course of 5 different lectures in class, just bit by bit. The motivation as this semester is nearing finals is dwindling, and I'm just trying to make sure I don't end up another three-month hiatus.**

 **There's going to be another chapter on November 24th, for sure. Holidays are coming up, which means (hopefully) that I'll have a crap ton of time to write.**

 **Also, I want to hear everyone's speculations. Who do you ship with Jonas? Cordelia, Cordayne, Nell, Victoria, Robin, Daemon Stygian, Clarkson Schreave, etc. etc. or will he be forever alone? I want to hear your guesses or your wishes!**

 **PLEASE review because I feel like a speshul gurl when you do.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 19**

Nell watched with unease as Jonas loudly announced his demands. "-start by transporting as much treasure and goods as you can get to the docks by the time my ship arrives in port, complete amnesty between the port of St. Martin and the Jewel of Hades, and you will also return the French Royal Navy to Europe. You have no need for them here. In return, St. Martin will receive complete protection from the Jewel of Hades, you will not be targeted for any pirate attacks so long as you fly our flag of protection on every mast of every ship you command. These are the terms to get back into our good graces, I would encourage your cooperation." The governor nodded nervously, the barrel of the pistol only a few inches from his head. The two half-naked suitors had dropped to their knees with Maia and Robin each holding a gun to them. Robin's face was stone cold, while Maia glanced around like she was trying to play along with the Captain.

Nell's own apprehension welled up inside, but she kept it down. The crowd ebbed toward her, Cordayne, Caroline, Zephora, and the four other pirates, but after the initial commotion, most of the guests stayed low to the ground and kept quiet and complacent. Nell looked over at Cordayne, who wasn't even paying attention to the crowd like she should have been, and instead was staring up at the stage with her eyebrows furrowed. Internally, Nell shrugged. The crowd was at bay so it wasn't like she was doing anything wrong, though Nell wished that Cardayne would get her head in the fight. It was understandable because a select few of the girls on the ship had expressed much interest in the Captain, including Nell herself. Of course, it was from afar because of Cordelia, but it was nice to daydream. Even Nell could see that this was a horrible time for the imaginings of an admirer. She gave Cordayne the slightest nudge, and Cordayne ever so slightly shook her head and straightened up. She held her pistol tighter and focused intently on the crowd who was eyeing the blockade of girls, looking for weaknesses.

There was some shuffling as Lara, Stella, Brett, and Charlie allowed the main exit's door to open. Holding their guns steadily to the large group of guards who were standing outside. The guards must have gathered during the commotion, but were unable to get in. With the doors open, they all began to rush inside to protect their governor and his guests but were faced with not only eight guns aimed at them, but the image of Jonas on stage holding the exposed governor at gunpoint. They stopped their advance, their hands resting on their weapons. Clearly the captain was in front, his uniform adorned with medals and his epaulets were twice the size of the normal soldier. The captain took the scope of the situation, and you could almost hear the gears turning in his head. The unspoken threat hung in the air: _If you start a gunfight, the governor and many of his noble and prestigious guests will die._ They made no sudden moves.

"Captain Dion, I want you and your men to gather up the items in the storehouse vault. Take them to the docks, at once." The words coming out of the governor's mouth were meant to be sure and strong, but they were shaky and lacked conviction. Cordelia began making a long stride down the stairs of the stage and through the crowd, which parted in fear. She approached the captain, slowed to give him a deep scowl, and then walked past him. She stepped over the threshold into the garden, still in view of the party. She reached between her breasts where a smaller, strangely shaped pistol was concealed. She aimed it into the night sky and fired it. Nell realized it wasn't a pistol but a flare gun, and she had just signaled the ship.

"You don't have long, Captain. I'd get a move on," she said as she walked past him again, looking at him with a glint in her eye.

A beat passed, and the captain pointed his finger past the doors, ordering his men in French, which luckily Nell understood from her strict and rigorous upbringing. "You heard the orders, go to the storehouse. Get anything you can grab from the storehouse to the docks. _Rapidement! Avant de tourner au vinaigre_!" The men turned on their heel, running around the side of the mansion to where the storehouse undoubtedly was. The captain turned slightly to look Jonas in the eye, his face turned into a sharp frown, before following his men in a light jog. Lara's group closed the heavy door behind them.

The ballroom sat in stifling silence, waiting for Jonas to make another move. The only occasional sound was a sniffle from a crying woman or two. Nell straightened her back out of habit when she was nervous. All she wanted to know was what was going through Jonas's head right now, and how he was planning to escape. Zephora nervously messed with the frills of her red dress, before she saw Nell staring and stopped. The pirate standing behind Zephora took a step back as if he'd been caught doing something wrong. Nell assumed he was probably attempting to look over her shoulder into her cleavage. God damn pirates, even in life or death they still acted like dogs.

Minutes passed in unbearable silence. Finally, there was a tepid knock on the garden doors. Lara nudged Brett, who opened the door a crack, her gun peering through before she did. She shut it again. The entire room looked at the group guarding the door, and Brett spoke up loud enough for Jonas and Cordelia to hear on the other end of the room. "They say the Jewel has docked, Captain. The items are awaiting your approval to board the ship." Jonas glanced at Cordelia, both of them nodded almost imperceptibly before he gripped the governor tightly by the arm and pressed the barrel on his temple.

He began walking down the steps toward the doors. He was followed closely by Maia with her hostage and Robin with hers. Robin roughed up her hostage as she made him stand up, looking odd as a short boyish girl abused a tall sculpted French man. The three nude hostages were trailed by Cordelia, who waved at the girls on the exits. Victoria and Celandine, who were at the base of the stage followed closely on Cordelia's right and left, aiming their guns awkwardly at the crowd, almost nervous to see if anyone was going to stop them.

Olimpia, ever the rule-follower, led her group away from the servants' entrance while Nell opted to start walking. She didn't consider herself a leader, but she didn't want the group to fall behind because nobody would step up to follow.

Nell weaved her way through the crowd of cowering people on the floor, her pirate guard resting his hand on her shoulder so she wouldn't walk too fast and leave the rest of them. She caught up to the posse of pirates and ladies, the lot of them looking like a formidable gang of well-dressed outlaws. They approached the doors, the crowd behind them getting more vocal and anxious as some exits were now free and open. There was some slight panic in the room as you could hear people pushing to sneak out through the other doors. Cordelia and Jonas seemed calm and collected, not even sparing a glance backward, so Nell tried to do the same. Others, like Zylphia and Caroline, watched the crowd with fear in their eyes, but luckily they kept pace.

Just as the crowd's agitation was becoming worrisome, they all exited the doors. In the near distance, the Jewel of Hades loomed at the docks. It towered over the other ships and had a reddish glow in its portholes that made it look like it burned the fires of hell within.

The docks looked like they were at a standoff. As Jonas and his crew approached, Nell could see the royal guard on the island side, straining to not attack, and the pirates on the seaside of the dock, looking disorganized and bloodthirsty. Jonas and his party-goers approached the captain with the governor in tow. He stopped and glanced over at the pile of boxes, luggage chests, and loose luxury items that were laid out on the dock for the pirates. Jonas cocked his head to the side, appraising the number of items. "It will do for now," he said simply. He stood still, not moving a muscle while he held the gun to the governor. Pirates around him immediately went into automatic action and began forming an assembly line bringing the boxes and chests and valuables to the ship's gangway. Nell was huddled among the girls. They weren't scared anymore-they'd been with pirates for long enough, but they were on edge. It felt like all these people needed was a spark to explode outward in a bloody battle. Needless to say, not every girl felt comfortable with that prospect, and it felt like Nell was holding her breath to avoid being the spark.

When everything was stowed, right down to the last loose pearl, the pirate crew had emerged to watch their captain and wait for orders. He approached the rival French captain, nearing close enough that Nell was sure they could smell each other's breath. The night air pulled Nell's hair away from her neck, the sea breeze was far too familiar and soft for the situation. Jonas shoved the governor forward, his motion smooth and graceful but the governor tripped anyway. The French captain said nothing, but his scowl deepened. Two seamen took the governor and cloaked him in a blanket, pulling him aside as fast as they could. During the exchange, Jonas took two steps back. His mouth was turned slightly upward like everything was going to plan. It enraged the French captain to allow a pirate to go free, and that was undoubtedly why Jonas found it amusing. Maia and Robin released their hostages at the same time. Both men scrambled to their allies, babbling like babies. Robin scoffed, rolled her eyes and spun the chamber of her pistol with her thumb. The action seemed old and instinctual like it was a habit picked up some time ago.

Jonas turned on his heel and approached his crew. He took Cordelia under his arm by the shoulder when he was close enough. She returned the motion with her arm around his waist, both of them looking malicious and very pleased with themselves. Jonas leaned down and whispered something to her, which made her laugh and take a glance back at the Captain.

The pair approached the troop of girls, and waved them along, walking before Jonas and Cordelia towards the ship.

A deep threatening chuckle traveled on the wind, sending a shiver down Jonas's spine. Only one person in the world could put Jonas on edge with just a laugh, and that meant trouble. _Daemon._

* * *

"Am I supposed to believe this load of cow shit?" Florence crossed her arms.

Daemon's twisted smile put her on edge. "I will have plenty of time to prove my claims later." He put the key to the jail cell in his jacket pocket. Inside, Joyce and Adrian were passed out, filthy and injured. Adrian's side was bandaged crudely. Daemons thought about just healing the boy's wounds but it did not benefit him either way, so he left it. "My dear," Daemon cooed, "I have already promised you that you will have the entirety of the seven seas at your command, but first we need to get you to a ship."

Finding Florence dying in the hall of the mansion was the best thing that could've happened for Daemon. He couldn't make a deal unless somebody was on death's doorstep, a doorstep he frequented often. She was just the kind of person to wreak some havoc on Jonas's little _Selection_. How ignorant did the boy have to be to think he wasn't keen on his plans?

"The quickest way to do that is to head to the docks. You pick out the prettiest one and I'll take care of the rest. Sounds like a plan, doesn't it darling?"

Florence narrowed her eyes at Daemon, still not quite trusting him, but necessity won out. "Fine," she lifted her gun at his chin, unsure if he could actually die if he was who he said he was, "but don't call me darling," she growled.

Daemon, unfazed, mockingly put his hands in the air in surrender. "Deal."

The two of them made sure the cell door was locked tight- they would return later for the hostages, and embarked out to the town.

Florence's mild headache made her eyes sting and she blinked to clear her head. "Effect of the transition," Daemon explained, noting her quirk. "It'll pass eventually. You're just recovering, is all."

Florence didn't reply but was silently thankful that the headache would eventually fade. Her memory was spotty. She didn't even remember shooting Adrian. Maybe luck was on her side because it made subduing Joyce easier to take as a hostage.

Daemon led Florence to an old church. He helped her climb up the bell tower. "What are we doing?" Florence asked.

"You really don't get this whole 'trust' thing do you?"

Florence scoffed and glanced out at the colony in her wake. Daemon pointed to the docks, where the unmistakable silhouette of the Jewel of Hades was pulling into port. "Jonesy, Jonesy… ever the busy little pirate king," Daemon said to himself gleefully. "Well, do you see any ship you're interested in?"

Florence scanned the silhouettes on the docks. It was hard to make a decision that late at night, but she pointed at a large finely crafted French Royal Navy ship.

"Good choice," said Daemon. He helped her back down from the bell tower and the two of them navigated the narrow streets towards the docks. As they neared, Florence instinctually slowed her pace, trying to keep within the shadows while Daemon seemed to not care at all about sneaking around. They came within view of the main dock and watched as Jonas held a half-nude fat man hostage. The Jewel of Hades' crew was loading cargo onto the ship, and when they'd finished Jonas returned his hostage to the guards, followed by two more hostages running from the crew.

Daemon smiled gleefully. "I smell some chaos cooking." He advanced, uncaring about hiding from view.

"Wait!" Florence whisper-shouted. She didn't want to move from the shadows but knew that she was meant to follow. Daemon, without looking back at Florence, lazily waved a hand beckoning her to follow. A low-pitched chuckle emerged from his throat.

When he did turn back around to meet Florence's gaze, his face had become sunken and gray. His eyes were bloodshot and crazed. "Lemme show you some of my tricks," he said, his voice raspy and low.

Florence's blood ran cold with fear, the type of fear that any mortal would have after seeing this side of Daemon, but she still followed.

She caught up with Daemon. Ahead, Jonas was retreating to his ship with his dear Cordelia under his arm. Behind his back, the French guard lifted two fingers into the air, and then three. Silently, three gunmen took aim with their bayonets, all seemingly aimed at Jonas. Daemon sucked in a deep breath, and as he slowly let it out, the muzzle flashes from three guns went off. Florence furrowed her brow as the muzzle flashes took longer than physically possible. All bodies on the dock slowed until they were frozen by the time Daemon's breath was empty.

Florence's jaw dropped. Her eyes dried from lack of blinking and she forced herself to take a breath. This was impossible. Her headache felt like it was piercing through her temples, and her heart felt like it would leap right out of her chest because it was beating that hard.

"Oh," Daemon turned around to see Florence having a panic attack, "Well, do you believe my cow shit now?"

A small nod was the only way Florence responded. Daemon hooked his arm through hers and led her forward in between the two crews.

"Florence, you are probably the luckiest person to ever have died," Daemon remarked, and Florence's attention flew to him.

"To have died?"

"You didn't realize? You died back there. It's a messy process, but it the way things work. Luckily for you, I was there. I like to follow Jonas on his little soirees and I could feel your fear. It feels like rain, fear does, if you were wondering." He glanced at Florence's blank stare and shook his head, "Actually nevermind. Anyway, I came and found you, bleeding out. Cracked your head on the floor pretty hard. I almost didn't get to you in time, but I'm quick like that."

Daemon was strolling through the frozen bodies of the women like he was walking through a park. "Long story short, you took a deal with me on death's door. I saved your life and in exchange, you have to help me out when I need it. Not now, don't worry. I'll make sure you have everything you need to succeed."

Florence bit back her natural urge to be defiant, and asked, "Like Captain Jonas?"

Daemon shot a glance down at her, trying not to reveal his irritation. "Yes," he replied. "I made a deal with Jonas long ago, and now look at him. He's the captain of the strongest pirate crew in the Carribean."

Daemon sounded like a salesman, despite the fact that he'd already made the deal with her. "So what do you say?" he asked.

"Yes," Florence said without hesitation.

"Fantastic," he said, his grin widening and curling. He began leading her towards the large ship. "Now, let's get out of here before things get messy."

He took a few steps with her in arm, before he stopped. "Oh! I almost forgot." He spun her around quickly. He stepped behind the bullets. The trajectory was obvious. One bullet heading straight at Jonas's chest, one at Cordelia's legs, and the last at her head. Daemon took the bullet meant for Cordelia's head and moved it three inches to the left. He made a quiet clicking noise with his tongue. "That's better." He spun her again and led her towards the ship she picked out for herself. Florence couldn't help but look back at the frozen scene they left behind. "Wouldn't want that happening yet, now would we?" Daemon muttered to himself, before inhaling and exhaling, releasing the spell.

* * *

 **This chapter is dedicated to Milly! Happy birthday!**

 **I hope everybody enjoyed this chapter. I don't know if you can tell, but there's going to be a battle in the next chapter, so buckle up!**

 **I hope all my American buds out there have a happy thanksgiving. I usually get pretty bored around the holidays so maybe I'll write more than normal? I'm not making promises because I know myself. I'll say I have time and then watch YouTube instead.**

 **Regardless, thanks for reading! Please review. It feeds my ego.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 20**

 ***This chapter may have some fighting scenes that are graphic for younger readers. Merry Christmas.***

The first shot rang out and left an eerie silence in its wake. The next two jarred the mind, making hot blood run cold.

No. The blood was still hot. Very hot. It seemed to get hotter with every heartbeat.

Jonas looked down at his shirt, where a red bloom formed on the elegant ruffles. The bullet had gone clean through, tearing through the fabric.

As Jonas stared down at his abdomen, growing with blood, he heard the shrieks of 17 women, Cordelia included. His head snapped down to see Cordelia collapsed, screaming as she clutched her thigh. She couldn't sift through the many layers and ruffles of the petticoat fast enough, so she just clutched the whole mess of it with her leg somewhere inside. Blood quickly stained the gown, the petticoat like useless tissue paper at soaking it up.

Jonas didn't know why his body didn't move. Shock maybe? That hadn't happened in decades. For some reason, his eyes scanned everywhere for the face of a gaunt trickster. Jonas's heart beat faster and faster, adrenaline coursing through his system and bloodlust for both Daemon and the soldiers rising.

Then, out of nowhere, Jonas was moving. He drew his sword, staring down the soldiers who were loading their rifles once again. He heard running behind him, and from the corner of his eye he saw the women retreat to the ship, and his crew members charging forward. Three men instinctively grabbed Cordelia from the ground and whisked her away towards the Jewel, leaving a bloodstained captain on the front line. Jonas let out a feral warcry and sprinted towards the line of soldiers, his men several paces behind him. He was unfearing, just pissed off. The first soldier to meet the end of his blade was downed quickly, the cold steel slashing through the decorative uniform. The next charged at Jonas while his back was turned towards the first, only to meet his end as Jonas turned and plunged his cutlass through his gut and pulled up until he felt the bone of his ribcage on the metal. When his ears picked up the sound of his men meeting the front lines, the clashing of metal on metal rang out predominantly.

Another man came at Jonas from the side, and Jonas got him in the neck. Blood spurted from his carotid artery and hit Jonas in the face. He quickly wiped it from his eyes and brow, taking care to not get blinded in the middle of a fight.

While he wiped his eyes, however, a blade caught Jonas in the waist. It slashed rather than stabbed, and Jonas felt the bite of the steel. He sucked in a breath of air but kept his wits about him. Turning quickly and dragging his weapon through the man's stomach. The poor soldier was disemboweled, his guts spilling onto the dock as he fell to the ground. Jonas turned to watch his back for the next attack but noticed many avoiding confrontations with him.

He was sure he was quite a sight. Two wounds, blood in his eyes, and he'd just taken down four men. The fight continued with his pirates behind him. He spotted deep in the grouping of men, the Captain was barking orders. He was conveniently behind a defensive line of bayonets. The governor was nowhere in sight, probably running for his life back to the estate. Jonas met the captain's eyes and spat on the ground.

 _What a coward._

Jonas walked with purpose to the defensive line, their rifles aimed at his chest. Images of Cordelia screaming in pain flashed through his mind. Not in the 15 years they'd been together had he ever allowed her to get hurt like that. She was capable in battle, but he never allowed her to ever be put in true danger like that.

He'd been cocky. Turned his back to the enemy. _That was a mistake he wouldn't make again._

The sounds of gunfire from multiple weapons rang out and Jonas felt the kick of being shot. He had no idea how many bullets had just hit him, and he gasped for breath. He stumbled back but caught himself with the tip of his blade on the ground behind him. He righted himself, waited for the breath to come back. Only a moment later he was able to suck in a raspy breath. He took three more steps. The men didn't have time to reload, so they brandished the spiked points of their bayonets. Jonas saw the fear in these young soldiers' eyes. They were fighting something supernatural. There was no winning. A low growl escaped Jonas's throat and he met their bayonets. He stood at their points, extended his own sword between the necks of two young men. It was a clear threat to part the line.

"Stab him you imbeciles!" The French captain shrieked in fury.

Unfortunately, these poor gunmen had very little choice. If they stood their ground against Jonas, they would undoubtedly die. If they lowered their weapons and allowed the pirate to pass and murder their commanding officer, they'd be tried and hanged for desertion for not following his orders.

The poor soul on Jonas's left with brilliant green eyes and bead-like sweat dripping down his face pressed his lips into a hard line. Jonas knew what was coming and braced himself. The soldier dug his bayonet into Jonas's chest, burying it somewhere between his ribs. Again, Jonas felt the breathlessness, as the man had likely punctured a lung, but he stood firm. The one on the right, a brown-eyed, baby-faced boy did the same, his eyes shining in fear. His bayonet dug in just below Jonas's clavicle, scraping bone as it slid in roughly.

Without hesitation, as the second bayonet entered his body, Jonas took his sword and cleanly slashed the throat of the two men. At least he could offer them a quick death.

Their bodies fell to the ground, choking on their own blood. They never removed the blades so as they dropped their guns from their grasp, the sharp edges pulled at Jonas's body, inflicting more pain. He removed the two weapons from his chest and dropped them to the side, and in the same fluid motion, he glided forward to plunge his own blade into the captain's torso.

Time seemed to slow as Jonas charged at him, the adrenaline making everything around him crystal clear. He barely felt any pain from his injuries, and the pain he did feel was dwindling by the second as his body healed itself. He plunged the tip of his cutlass into the navel of the captain. He pointed his sword up, the other end of it emerging through the back of his ornate officer's uniform just behind where his heart was. The metal of his sword scraped along the captain's spine and ribs, no doubt dulling the blade.

As he wrenched the weapon from the man's body and dropped him to the ground, Jonas turned around at appraised the battle scene behind him. Several soldiers of that defensive line, stood still, unsure of what to do now that their commanding officer had been killed. The wise ones backed up, making it clear they weren't going to strike, but the first one to drop his weapon to the ground in clear surrender was a sea-worn old man. Jonas was even curious as to why an older gentleman was still just a gunman, and not someone of status in the ranks of the navy. Clearly, the man had seen many battles and knew when he was beaten. The other soldiers followed suit, their weapons clattering to the ground. The men who were ahead, fighting the pirates with swords, one by one, turned to see the clear surrender and dropped their weapons in suit. Jonas stood taller. As he passed a younger gunman, he dragged the face of his blade along his uniform, cleaning the blood from it, and returned it to his scabbard.

Jonas did not smile at his own intimidation tactics, which usually brought him some satisfaction. His boots hit the wood of the docks with rhythmic thunks as he returned to his ship. Each of his own men that he passed, turned to follow him on his heel. He scanned the ground looking for his own but thankfully saw none. Not to say there weren't injuries. Several men he gazed into the eyes of as he approached had lacerations, and no doubt adrenaline was keeping them moving.

He gave them the courtesy of a worried thought, but his mind did not linger there. Images of a bloody Cordelia flashed through his mind, and his pace quickened. He met the gangway's edge and as he boarded, gave out a vague order. "Get us the hell out of here."

* * *

The deck was in chaos. Everyone was either doing their job to get the ship in motion, was running to retrieve things for their superiors, or were standing around uselessly and in the way. Constance was one of the latter, and her eyes frantically searched for something to do. The entire crew was awake, not just one shift of crew members. Constance considered herself lucky. Her fears of traveling and pirates had severely diminished in the time she'd been a 'guest' of Captain Jonas. However, her survival instincts and her fight or flight response were always in full swing.

Over the cacophony of sound, Constance heard a small whimper.

Most of the women of the Jewel of Hades were pushed up against the port bow railing, trying to take up as little space as possible while the crewmen ran about. A select few couldn't bear to stand off to the side, namely Lara, Robin, and Charlie.

Again, a small whimper carried on the sea air.

Constance looked around, unsure of where the sound came from. All the women were standing with strong faces, watching the commotion around them. Nobody seemed to be downed around the ship, so Constance furrowed her brows in confusion.

No. Constance noticed behind her, Brett's makeup was smeared and melting. The Caribbean air was enough to make anyone sweat but she was drenched. Her face was pinched but resolute.

"Brett?" Constance asked quietly.

Brett made eye contact, her mouth in a thin pained line. Her sweat-drenched face was pale even through the powdery makeup. "Brett." Constance saw how she swayed too much even for a rocking ship.

In what felt like forever, with Constance's legs and arms frozen in place, Brett's eyes rolled back in her head, and her legs gave out from under her.

Luckily, Umakoti and Nell were on either side of her and managed to catch her enough to keep her from hitting her head on the floor.

The group descended onto the fallen woman. Constance did not. She saw as the women fanned Brett's face and tried to rouse her with no success. On Brett's pink and red gown bodice, Constance noticed an inconsistency in the pattern, redder on her abdomen where there should be pink.

Constance put an arm out and grabbed the nearest running pirate and pulled him in.

"She's bleeding," she said, sounding emotionless. Her heartbeat was accelerating in sympathy for Brett's wound. In sympathy for Brett's resilience. It was something Constance would do herself.

Before her eyes, pirates were shooing away the herd of ladies and lifting Brett gingerly. They carried her down the main stairway of the ship. Nobody moved, nobody followed them.

Except for Constance. She didn't know why she felt the need to follow, why she felt the need to stand out for the first time on this ship.

She descended the stairs behind Brett. They stopped on the second level and went through the cafeteria and kitchens. Exposed to the kitchen in the stern of the ship was a makeshift clinic. They laid Brett on a cot, one of many in this small corner of the ship. A brilliantly red-haired man in a leather apron paced from bed to bed. He had a pair of cracked spectacles over the bridge of his nose. He saw the group approach and hurried over to Brett.

"What's wrang wi' thes a body?" He said, his accent thick and animated.

The pirates who brought her down shrugged, and one-by-one left her there to resume their duties. He took a pair of scissors to Brett's bodice and began slicing it down.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Constance stepped forward, holding her hand out to stop the man from exposing her friend.

"Ah hae tae gie a swatch at 'er woond. Fa ur ye?"

Constance stared blindly at the man, trying to decipher his odd speech pattern.

"He's Scottish. He said he has to look at her wound," a familiar voice carried across the small space. Constance leaned to the left to look behind him.

"Cordelia?" She was lying on a cot, her leg elevated with a thick bandage around her thigh. Her gown and petticoat were gone, and she laid there in a corset and shift. It was lifted up to expose her bandages but low enough to provide modesty. She was staring at the wooden planks of the ceiling, angrily boring holes in them with her eyes.

"Oh, and he asked who you are."

Constance turned her attention back to the Scot, who was no longer paying attention to her. He had resumed his care of Brett and was cutting down the gown.

He revealed the wound, a bullet wound in her back. "Th' bullit is still inside, dammit," he said under his breath.

He began to call at a few other pirates who were wandering and organizing the kitchen's pantry.

"I'm Connie."

He didn't look up at her.

"And I can help you, so let me help you," she said.

He sighed gruffly, frustrated. "Dae ye ken hoo tae practice medicine?"

Again, Constance stood there trying to decipher his accent. After a moment of repeating it in her head, she replied. "No."

"T'en ye cannae-"

"But I know some people that do know how to practice medicine."

Before he could respond she was running back upstairs to the decks.

* * *

Stella leaned over to Maia, her eyes tracking multiple pirates at once. Her eyes flew to the three in particular who were still wearing fancy garb. They stayed on the deck, which Stella was sure was frustrating to Robin who seemed to have an affinity for working with heights. The ship had finally made some movement and was starting to set sail. Several more pirates emerged from the depths of the ship where the gangway emerged from. These men were sweaty, bloody, and a few had minor cuts and lacerations.

Stella began to step forward to try and stop these men so she could fix them, but Jonas emerged finally, stopping her in her tracks. He was covered in blood from head to toe. His suit was torn to shreds revealing perfect flesh, and his walk was slow. His steps were small as though he were exhausted but his shoulders were back and his brow was low as he looked around at the crew.

Crewmen began running up to him, asking for orders. Asking questions she was sure they would usually ask Cordelia, but Stella was reminded of how they whisked Cordelia away when they initially returned to the ship.

"Where are we making way to?"

"The stern mast is beginning to wear, I'm advising that we acquire a new one."

"Captain, we need a destination."

"Are you wanting to fire upon the island? Our canons are at the ready if you order it."

"Captain I'm going to head south if I don't receive a destination."

They came at him with one request after another, but he looked dulled, lost in his mind. He began waving them off, his anger rising clearly on his face.

"No, no, no, no…"

One more crewman after another approached him only to be shoved away as his eyes searched the faces around him.

"No, no, no," he continued to mutter to himself. "Where is she?"

Maia leaned back towards Stella. "Keep your distance. I don't think he's… stable, right now."

Stella nodded, "They should know not to get in the way between a man and his woman."

They watched as he paced in circles, shoving his crewmen if they got too close. Several men began to notice his erratic behavior and began trying to corral him into a circle of arms.

"Captain, I think you should just calm down."

"I can't calm down. Where is she?"

"Please, sir-"

"Shut the hell up. Take me to Cordelia."

"Sir-"

Jonas sprung at the last man to talk, grabbed him by the collar and shouted at him. " _Take me to my sister or I will throw you overboard myself!_ "

* * *

 **I know I'm a day late for my Christmas update. I was _busy_. **

**I was also _lazy._**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and tell me what you think of this new turn of events regarding Cordelia and Jonas. I love reviews, they fluff my ego so please review (I swear I'm not begging, but I'm begging). Also, do you think Brett's going to make it? Also, give me face claims for this sexy Scottish doctor because I don't have any yet but I'm already fantasizing about him.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 21**

The crew watched as Jonas paced in circles, shoving his crewmen if they got too close. Several men began to notice his erratic behavior and began trying to corral him into a circle of arms.

"Captain, I think you should just calm down."

"I can't calm down. Where is she?"

"Please, sir-"

"Shut the hell up. Take me to Cordelia."

"Sir-"

Jonas sprung at the last man to talk, grabbed him by the collar and shouted at him. " _Take me to my sister or I will throw you overboard myself!_ "

" _Captain Jonas."_ A firm voice rang out over the deck. Jonas spun around on his heels, his bloody shirt flapping in the sea breeze. His eyes were sharp and feral.

All eyes fell upon the top of the stairs, where Constance stood. Tension hung in the air, as many expected Jonas to turn his aggression to Constance.

"Cordelia is down below in the kitchens. She is awake-" before her sentence was finished, he was pushing past her down the stairs. Constance did not move, looking ahead at the crew with her head held high.

"Stella. I need more hands downstairs. Medically trained ones."

Stella looked up and stepped forward. "Olimpia should come too. I've been supplementing her prior apprenticeship."

"Well then both of you, hurry."

Olimpia meekly stepped forward and hurried in Stella's footsteps. The three women went down to the kitchens as Constance said. They moved past the cooks to where the makeshift clinic was set up. Multiple other pirates were also laid on cots, most with minor gunshots or lacerations. A few looked more grim, their expressions pale and they seemed to be unconscious as they laid in their own blood. Stella's heart broke when she noticed that the only person caring for these poor souls was a large ginger-haired man. His small spectacles clung dearly to the bridge of his button nose, and a bright orange beard was coming in fully. He maintained his composure in the chaos, as he went from bed to bed.

On the far wall, Stella saw the captain. He was shaking very subtly and was clutching Cordelia's hand between his own. She couldn't hear the words that fell from his lips, but they were hurried. Cordelia was awake. Pale, and weak looking but awake. Her face still portrayed the mask of strength you could expect when looking at her. She was trying to look like she was fine, even visibly scolding Jonas for his behavior. It didn't last long. Her face melted into a soft loving expression. "I would've never guessed," Stella said to herself.

Constance led them to the red-headed clinician.

"Why aren't you helping Brett? Is the bullet out?"

"She cannae tak' surgery noo. We wrapped 'er an' noo we bide," he spat out.

"What?" Olimpia squeaked quietly, turning to Stella and Constance to clear up the jumbled English.

"I think he said that she's got to wait," Constance said.

"Aye," he sighed.

Stella pushed past the Scot and approached Brett who was lying on a cot. Her dress was split up the middle, with a blanket covering her legs. Her midsection was wrapped tightly with bandages, but Stella could see the scarlet legs of blood starting to seep through. Stella put her hands against Brett's skin, which was clammy and wet. "He's right. She's lost a lot of blood and taking a bullet out will only make her lose more."

"Told ye," the scot shouted across the small room.

You could see Stella fume silently. "Excuse me, but it seems like you are quite laissez-faire about all this."

"Ah patch up these men all th' time. It's naethin' Ah huvnae seen b'fair."

"And how many men have died under your care?"

"Mair than Ah can coont, lass."

"Then you're not doing a good enough job!" Stella shouted. Her outburst caused anyone who was lucid to look over at her and the red-headed man.

He rose up to his full height and looked down at Stella. "Whit dae ye ken abit medicine?"

"I know as much about medicine as you do, I'd wager. If not even more."

He gave her a _hmph_ , and crossed his arms over his chest. "Gang aheid 'en, gie tae wark."

She turned on her heel to face Olimpia. "I need as much yarrow root as you can find in the kitchens, and I have a small supply in my cabin." Olimpia ran off towards the nearby kitchens meekly.

"Constance," she ordered. "I need you to gather up as many bandages as you can find, and a needle and thread. Follow me."

Stella went to the first man, a laceration across his cheek. He was young and skinny, with not much flesh on his cheek. Luckily, it hadn't gone through fully to the inside of his mouth.

Constance was first to return and gave a large roll of bandages to Stella, who tried not to sneer at the fact that they had a bit of blood around the edges like they'd deemed clean enough to reuse by one of the pirates. Stella ripped off a piece of bandage and began blotting at the wound. Once she'd gotten the blood stopped up, Olimpia returned, panting. She didn't wait for instruction, seemingly knowing what Stella would want. She had brought a mortar and pestle with a handful of the yarrow roots. They were grassy, and she began grinding them down. "They didn't have any in the kitchens. I only found what you had in your room." Olimpia said, slightly out of breath.

"Damn, well we will use it sparingly."

She pulled away from the bandage from his cheek, which only slowly bled. She dropped the bloody gauze and took the needle and thread that Constance had threaded for her. Stella began sewing the laceration shut.

"Will it scar?" the young man asked when she was done, wincing as he talked.

"Most likely. Sorry."

He gave a small smile on the side of his face without the stitches. "Thank you," he said, genuinely happy.

Stella furrowed her brows, before rolling her eyes and walking to the next bed.

The next one was a man who was bleeding more profusely. He was awake and holding pressure on his thigh where the bleeding came from. Stella took some yarrow and packed it in the small but deep cut. She didn't sew this one shut, muttering to Olimpia about not wanting to leave foreign material in the body for long.

There was a feminine groan from across the room, and Stella noticed Brett fussing in her cot.

The three women went over to her.

"Stella?" Brett looked up at Stella who was unwrapping her bandages on her midsection. After the first layer, the bandages had been soaked through.

"She wasn't bleeding that much when we brought her down here," Constance breathed in shock.

"Her corset was putting pressure on the bullet, most likely," Stella said as she pulled away bloody bandages. She pulled it away to find a bleeding hole in her lower abdomen. Stella barked an order at Constance to begin wiping away the blood. Stella snatched away the ground up yarrow from Olimpia and began pushing it into the hole with her finger hurriedly. After a few moments of packing it in, the bleeding seemed to stop.

Olimpia audibly sighed in relief. Constance began handing bandages to Stella.

"Olimpia," Stella ordered. "Check on her again in ten minutes. If the bandages are bloody again, get me."

"How is she?" a male voice surprised Stella. She turned to look over her shoulder and saw the bloody and battle-worn Jonas.

"She's in bad shape, but she's okay for now." Jonas looked down, shame blanketing his face as if he blamed himself for her injuries.

"What about Cordelia?"

Jonas smiled softly but didn't look happy. "Cranky. She's mad that she is injured, probably because it hit her ego harder than her leg. She's fine, though."

"Did it go clean through?"

Jonas nodded. There was a tense silence for a moment before he spoke up. "I've been shot hundreds of times. Not once have I ever been cocky enough to let Cordelia put herself in danger. Not truly. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost her."

Jonas stared at the ground, and Stella looked behind him to see Cordelia, his sister, sleeping on her cot. No doubt she was exhausted and probably lost a fair bit of blood.

"How long has she been aboard the ship?" Constance asked softly.

Jonas looked slightly puzzled, "I'm not sure. Ten years maybe? She was young when she found me, not yet a woman."

"Found you?" Stella asked, like a detective puzzling together a mystery. A small mumble of pain came from Brett's lips, capturing Stella's attention again.

Jonas placed a hand on Stella's shoulder, "A story for later then. Thank you for your medical help. I'm sure Niall is appreciative."

Niall. The Scot.

Stella looked around the room discreetly and found him mending a man's sliced arm. He was focused, his spectacles sliding down his nose slightly.

Jonas walked back to Cordelia's cot, and curled up next to her, embracing her in a loving hug.

"Stella," Constance got her attention again.

"Sorry," she said, slightly shaking her head. "Alright. Let's keep going." She grabbed the remainder of bandages and went to the next injured pirate, the two women trailing her.

* * *

Once they'd made their way out to the open ocean, Jonas finally emerged from below deck. He carried a patched up Cordelia in his arms. Her face was red with embarrassment, but they'd tried limping down below and found that her leg was in too much pain to walk on. Manny was walking a few paces ahead of them, shooing on-lookers away. The men looked away but snuck glances at their first mate, the fierce Cordelia reduced to a damsel in distress.

The ladies had retreated to the corners of the deck. They hadn't been allowed to go back below deck yet, as the staircase was in full use, with men running up and down in order to carry out their jobs. Manny asked that they wait until the ship had calmed down and they could safely walk the few flights of stairs to their cabins.

Victoria was sitting on a wine cask, Celandine's head in her lap. It was late in the night, and many of the women had been up since sunrise that day.

Once Jonas and Cordelia had gone into the captain's quarters, Manny instructed everyone to get back to work. Most men were done with their tasks, however. The next in command was Manny, as he was in charge of the below-deck crew and reported to Cordelia directly. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked like he'd been running constantly.

Stella appeared ascending the stairs and hurried towards the captain's door. Her gown was bloodied, and her hair was falling loose from its original complicated bun. Manny stepped between her and the door, but Stella stood her ground, gesturing with great exaggeration. Finally, she pushed past him and banged her fist on the door. Manny grabbed her by the shoulders and kept her back from the door. It wasn't a cruel gesture, but one of protectiveness for his captain and first mate. Jonas opened the door, however, and Manny stepped off to the side. You could see the words 'sorry sir' on his lips, and he attempted to explain how he tried to stop the woman from disturbing him. Stella didn't wait though. She explained what she came to explain in a commanding manner.

Victoria's curiosity was piqued, and she was disappointed that Celandine had fallen asleep on her lap or she'd try and get closer to listen.

Whatever Stella needed, Jonas seemed to agree to. He glanced at Manny, indicating to enact Stella's request before he retreated again into his room.

Stella turned away from Manny and nearly ran back downstairs.

"Crew!" Manny shouted. "Pull the sails, we're headed to the River of Whispers."

A cacophony of 'Aye' came from the men. Some men even cheered, and they all immediately began to get to work lowering the sails and turning the ship in the right direction. Manny approached the group of women.

"Now then, you all may carry on. _Lo siento_ for the trouble."

He started to walk away, and Victoria started to rouse the sleeping blonde on her lap.

"What is the River of Whispers?" Cordayne asked over the sound of wind and voices.

Manny turned and faced the girls, sparing a glance at the Captain's door. "It's, eh, a place, oh _mierda_ _._ It's a sanctuary for pirates and other delinquent members of society." He spat out his sentence in a hushed tone. "It's a well-kept secret among those who know of it. I shouldn't be telling you without Captain Jonas's permission, but," he winced like he was trying to rationalize his admission, "you all will be accompanying us regardless. So you would find out anyway."

A small huddle of girls began whispering and speculating on their own. Manny took the relative silence as permission to leave the girls be.

The girls descended the stairs, exhaustion pulling them down to their beds.

...

Victoria awoke suddenly, sweat dripping down her entire body and her mouth open in a scream. A night terror. Her heart felt like it would beat straight out of her chest. The sounds of gunshots from the day prior still rang in her ears as if they'd just gone off.

The adrenaline would not allow her to fall back asleep, and she saw the beams of early light creeping into the porthole of her room. It lit up the dusty air and suspended particles floated around calmly.

Victoria left her room, only draping a robe over her nightdress. It was far too early to get fully dressed, and she needed fresh cool morning air.

She started to climb the steps but stopped halfway up to go to the kitchens, where they were keeping the injured. She turned a corner and nearly ran into two men toting a very pale and limp pirate in their arms.

She gave a gasp and her hand clapped over her mouth.

"Din' make it through the night," the leading man said to her. They climbed the steps towards the deck, and Victoria watched with sadness. She continued to the make-shift infirmary. She saw many cots, a few notably empty with large reddish-brown stains. The one she wanted to see, though, with Brett was at the front of the room. Her ripped gown was in a pile next to the cot, and Stella was asleep on the neighboring cot. Her hand was resting on Brett's chest, feeling the breaths throughout the night.

Brett was still pale but was sleeping peacefully, with her breaths calm and paced. Victoria sat on the floor next to her, watching her breathe.

She didn't know how long she sat there watching her sleep until she heard Stella speak. "She's doing fine for now."

"Oh," Victoria stammered. She stood up and wiped the wrinkled out of her nightgown. "I'm sorry, I just, I couldn't sleep, so-"

"It's okay. I've been trying for hours. I can't either."

They stood in silence watching a peaceful Brett.

"It's stuffy down here, and you've been by her side all night. Come up top with me? At least for a moment," Victoria said.

Stella nodded, and the two girls walked solemnly up to the main deck.

The morning light was soft, with the sunrise hidden behind large fluffy clouds. The light on deck may have been soft, but the sky was on fire with light. Brilliant oranges, pinks, and purples mixed and danced on gargantuan clouds.

The two of them walked to the stern and leaned against the railing. The ship was racing to its destination, and the waves were crashing against the sides of the ship. When Victoria looked out at the horizon it felt like she was flying. She closed her eyes as the breeze pushed past her face and breathed in the salty air.

"You too?" Victoria heard Robin's voice behind her.

Robin leaned on the railing between Stella and Victoria. "I thought I was the only one," Robin said solemnly.

"Aren't you one of the ones that are used to all this?" Stella asked, trying to not let the judgment coat her voice.

"I've been on multiple cargo ships, ocean liners, and even had one incredibly annoying yacht owned by a Dutch lord, but believe it or not this _is_ my first pirate ship. Sorry if my experience didn't include being shot at by a small army."

Stella said nothing in reply but Victoria tried to stifle a giggle.

The three of them sat in the early morning light. Slowly, men began milling about the deck. A few still had their breakfast of eggs and bannocks in their hands as they wiped the sleep from their eyes.

One man who was making multiple knots in the ropes began whistling. The tune sounded familiar like she'd heard it before while onboard but Victoria couldn't quite place it.

Robin turned around, leaning her back against the railing and let the sun hit her neck. She observed the singular whistle turn into many.

Victoria turned her back to the sky as well and watched the morning song unfold.

" _A lass as bonny as she,_

 _Pulled me out to sea._

 _I found out how to make her mine,_

 _I slapped a kiss upon her lips,_

 _And cried out 'ya stink of fish!'"_ Robin's soft singing was automatic, and she closed her eyes as she sang. She didn't sing to be heard, but out of memory.

The men sang one-by-one until the air was alight with laughing and song.

" _A year went by for me,_

 _I thought she wasn't keen._

 _She found me again in the_

 _Caribbean and lured m'back in_

 _Before cryin' 'Tis a sin!'"_

Victoria felt a smile crawl across her face as she saw a reclusive Jonas appear in his doorway. He was still in his nightshirt and trousers but learned on the doorframe. He watched his crew work and sing in the morning air and looked genuinely happy, which Victoria couldn't help but feel warmth rise in her own chest at seeing him smile.

* * *

 **Yeah. I know.**

 **So I've had a wild two months. I lost my dog really suddenly, and it happened to be during big exam times and I kinda fell down this super-depressed hole. I'm getting better, but I'm trying to write ahead so that I have a little bit saved up. That's also partially why this one was much later because I was making sure I had at least one chapter after this already written up. So, that means the next chapter is actually written already too, and I will have it up at a reasonable time this time.**

 **I hope you liked my little sea shanty, and I actually am working on a Spotify playlist to listen to when writing, and when reading (or if you just feel like it) of songs that put me in the moment. I will make it public when I post the next chapter :)**

 **Also, please review! If not for my story which I'm sure nobody reads anymore because I'm a terrible updater, but for me, Gummy, who's been super depressorino :3. Tell me what ships (Niall (the scot), Manny, Jonas, etc.) you like, which ones you are sure I'll end up doing, and what you think the character's predicaments!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 22**

Three days of sailing south felt like a lifetime. Many men didn't sleep, working around the clock to make sure that the Jewel of Hades sailed as fast as possible. Captain Jonas had not spent more than a collective half-hour outside of his cabin, spending all his time with Cordelia. Lara was sure that Cordelia was doing just fine despite Jonas's nerves.

The deck was too chaotic for Lara. She liked watching from afar and people kept asking her for help. Most able-bodied women had taken to helping the crew with the maintenance tasks of keeping the ship's speed. She'd found a spot near the stern of the ship where nobody was rushing past and curled up with a small stories book she found in Cordelia's storage below deck. She wasn't a fan of reading necessarily, but it let her pretend to not watch the people when in fact she would peer over the pages to the surrounding people.

So, she was aware when she saw Manny approaching her. She focused intently on the words of the page as he got closer.

" _Hola, Mamacita_. Is this seat taken?"

"No. Don't you have things to do, you know, with Cordelia being out of service?"

Manny scoffed, "I've always thought the Cordelia micro-managed the men. They're competent enough to come to get me if there is any trouble."

"Well, your disturbing my reading."

He feigned worry, " _Lo seinto, Mamacita_. I didn't realize you enjoyed children's fairytales that much."

 _Shit._ Lara thought. She just picked up a random book. Nobody had ever read the cover or paid much attention to her in the background while she was lurking.

She didn't give him the satisfaction of responding but despised the shit-eating grin he had plastered on his face.

They sat in relative silence for a few minutes. Lara had closed the book and set it on her lap and just focused on the well-oiled machine of sailors moving about the deck.

"What is the River of Whispers?" Lara asked, breaking the silence.

"It's where we are going," Manny said curtly.

"I knew that. I meant what is it exactly?"

He huffed, "I said before. It's a well-kept secret among pirates. Technically, by pirate code, I shouldn't even be talking about it with you."

"But," Lara said with a sing-song voice, "You will talk with me anyway."

It wasn't a secret to Lara that Manny liked to flirt with her, so she arched her back and leaned in close.

Manny's eyes narrowed and the corners of his mouth turned up.

"Oh, _mi amor,_ you will get me in trouble one day." Lara couldn't help but smirk at how easy it was to wrap this man around her fingers. "Well," Manny stated, "It's run by the Voodoo Queen of the Caribbean. It's a safe haven for all delinquents and criminals, though most of the individuals there are retired pirates. The riches brought by its refugees make it the wealthiest island in the Caribbean, but don't get the wrong idea. It's not a luxurious place and outsiders are not welcome. I don't know what Captain Jonas plans to tell them regarding you ladies."

Lara nodded along with his explanation, making a mental note to stay off to the side when the ship arrived. She'd always erred on the more cautious side, and this was going to be no exception for her.

There was a commotion near the port side of the ship, and Lara broke her eye contact with Manny. Two sailors were getting into an argument, throwing a braided rope back at one another.

Manny sighed and with exaggerated effort stood up and sauntered over. A curious Lara followed on his heel.

"Who taught ye to knot like this, ye giant cod?" A frustrated older pirate said, holding the loosely braided rope as evidence.

The younger, scrawnier pirate groaned. "It's perfectly fine! It held, dinnit?"

The two men began yelling over each other, and other sailors began getting involved, taking sides and inspecting the rope on their own. As Manny approached, they backed away, one-by-one, but generally didn't cease the arguing.

"What's the problem?" Manny ordered. His voice naturally deepened to command an answer.

The older pirate stepped forward, "I dun think this is acceptable, sir."

Manny inspected the knots, pulling on certain legs and testing the strength. There was anticipatory silence as he did so.

"No. It's not. It's very close but one wrong gust of wind on this branch," Manny demonstrated a gust of wind by pulling a single rope from the bundle. It pulled loose from the knot and the entire thing fell apart, "and we'd be in trouble." He passed the loose ropes back to the scrawny young pirate. "Amend this, _amigo._ Don't let me catch you cutting corners again."

The young man started grumbling and spitefully put the knots back together in a tighter fashion. Manny opened his mouth to reprimand this man's attitude but the low creak of the captain's door stopped all movement on deck. After looking up to see the door open, the young man began quickly and wordlessly tying the rope.

There was the sound of slow footsteps. Manny faced the door with his hand behind his back, while Lara lazily stepped around him to get a better look.

Jonas was supporting Cordelia, though she was frequently pushing his hands away. She limped, and her mouth was in a hard line of concentration. Nobody looked up to see their first mate struggle to walk, every man focused intently on their hands as they worked diligently. No words were spoken except what was necessary to work, though Lara suspected many whispers were being exchanged.

"Take it easy," Jonas said under his breath.

"I'm fine," Cordelia said through gritted teeth, forcing herself to walk faster.

Lara stepped forward, intercepting Cordelia's path, stopping her momentum.

Tension as the two of them stared at each other was palpable. "Captain," Lara said, nodding at Jonas, "and Madame," she said looking Cordelia in the eyes. Cordelia's narrowed as Lara gave a small nod to her. "It's good to see you back on your feet." Cordelia's eyes softened, but her mouth did not relieve its tight line.

"Thank you, sailor," Cordelia acknowledged Lara.

Manny approached behind Lara. "Is everything alright, _Capitain?"_

"Yes. Thank you for your assistance these past few days, Emanuel. I'm sure your first mate won't admit to it but she got some well-needed rest. Unfortunately, you know how stubborn she can-"

" _Thank you_ ," Cordelia said through gritted teeth. "But I'm ready to resume my duties."

Manny raised an eyebrow involuntarily. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

"Then I will take my leave. Get some well-needed rest myself." Manny's small smile of malicious compliance couldn't be concealed. He passed behind Lara. His fingers grazing her lower back.

 _That damn Spaniard_ _,_ Lara thought. _Such a flirt._

Lara felt her face flush with embarrassment and prayed that a quick breeze would cool her cheeks before Cordelia or Jonas noticed. Of course, she wasn't the lucky sort, and Cordelia's mouth softened with a smug grin.

"Forgive me, I was enjoying the morning sun," Lara said curtly and walked back to her spot by the stern of the deck. He boots thudded against the wood like a horse galloping to safety where she could bury her face into a book she did not care about.

* * *

The morning and day had been uneventful, luckily for Cordelia. As women periodically visited the deck, they each paid their respects to Cordelia who tried her hardest to hide the effort she was putting into simple tasks.

Charlie had spent most of the day keeping Stella company by Brett. Brett had woken up for brief periods of time but her speech was nonsense. She'd been fighting a fever, and Stella had barely slept. The large Scottish medic, Niall, was adamant in having Stella care for herself, offering to watch Brett while she ate and slept. Charlie always laughed at Niall's off-handed comments that he'd care for her despite Brett being Irish because at least she wasn't English.

Stella was never away for long though. Usually, her breaks consisted of going above deck to ask Manny how far out from port they were, ever since her initial request to stop for a restock of supplies and medical help when Brett first got injured.

Maia had convinced Charlie and Stella to come on deck to enjoy the evening air. Morale on deck was ever-increasing the closer they go to their destination. Most of the pirates sang after dinner and played games on deck, and it had lured the girls away from their rooms to join the fun. Cordelia was sitting on a barrel, her injured leg stretched out in front of her. She watched over the ladies but had her nose buried in maps and literature. Jonas was sitting at her feet, massaging her other leg. Initially, she had swatted him away but, just like his sister, Jonas was persistent and stubborn. Upon seeing Stella, Cordelia called out to her and beckoned to come to talk.

"How is Brett's condition?" Cordelia asked.

"Stable. She's not awake, but has moments of arousal where she speaks to us."

"Anything to be concerned about?"

Stella took a pause and thought for a moment. "She is most likely very dehydrated. She will barely drink when awake and chokes when we try and force it. She needs more medical help from the land. Quickly."

Cordelia nodded solemnly, dismissing Stella to the deck's antics. She watched as Stella was convinced to dance with a young man, but her face was clouded over with worry. Despite the forced smile, Cordelia saw the pain and worry.

"We are still two days out from the River of Whispers," Jonas stated, watching the scene with Cordelia.

"The wind is on our side. We've not slowed from full speed since yesterday morning. If it keeps up we can be there by sunrise."

Jonas gave Cordelia a gentle pat on her good ankle. "You're optimistic. The wind is fickle, and that girl won't make it to see midday tomorrow. I've gone to visit her. Niall is quite sure."

"Jonas," Cordelia said, "The bond between these women is something I cannot tarnish." She gave him a stern look, her mouth forming a thin line as her curly red hair flew about her face. "Make it happen."

"How would you have me do that?"

"Martisha," Cordelia said, and Jonas scoffed incredulously. "If you tell her it's me that's hurt she'll help."

"And when we arrive and it's not you, she'll have my head."

Cordelia flourished her finger at her injured leg. "I _am_ hurt. I'm just not the only one!"

Jonas sat silently at Cordelia's feet, thinking about Cordelia's plan.

"Fine."

Cordelia tried to hide her smirk. "But," Jonas said quickly, "you have to sell it. I hate lying to her. She creeps me out."

"Of course," Cordelia said running her fingers through Jonas's cowlick before giving his head a gentle shove. "I'm not stupid. I know what to do."

The two shared a smile that turned into a laugh when Mouse showed off for Robin by flipping between ropes. Robin, instead of being impressed, gave a belly laugh and said, "That's nothing, watch this!" before climbing up to meet him.

The breeze wavered slightly on Robin's flip, but she still grasped tightly onto the rope, catching herself.

Jonas breathed in deeply, smelling the salt-water air. "Let's tell her then."

He stood, and offered a hand to Cordelia to stand. She tried putting as little weight on him as possible, attempting to do it independently.

They retreated to their quarters, where Cordelia sat in the Captain's chair. She couldn't walk for long, and Jonas was happy to let her sit. He rummaged through his shelves, finding a skull with burnt symbols etched into the brow bone. It was similar to the skull he took to shore when he left Cordelia in charge but held a direct line to Martisha, the Voodoo Queen.

Jonas held the skull up and put his mouth near its 'ear'. A string of the only Swahili words he knew fell from his lips and the etchings began to glow, " _Utukufu, Utajiri, na Kifo_." _Glory, Riches, and Death._ The pirates' oath.

A heavy moment passed as they waited for the response.

" _Mon cher_ ," an islander accent flowed musically from the skull's orifices, "I hope you bring me good news."

Jonas glanced at Cordelia, who pursed her lips. This was going to be all on him if they wanted to get Martisha's full help.

"I'm afraid not. Cordelia's been hurt."

Another tense moment dragged on, before the simple response came, "What can I do to help, _Capitaine_ Jonas?"

* * *

 **Voila! I told you all I had more written!**

 **I hope you liked this chapter, it's a little shorter, but the next two are going to be kind nuts. (Specifically, the next chapter is quite long already, so yikes.)**

 **Please review as it makes me feel special and gives me warm fuzzies. Or, you can just review on discord if that's easier! I just love feedback!**

 **Also, thanks to KJ, aka, Anastasia The Goddess of Drama.** **She wrote up the character for Martisha, which I couldn't have done better myself! You'll be seeing more of her in future chapters!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 23**

 ***Trigger warning: Sexual abuse, domestic abuse, PTSD, and death.**

 ***This chapter may not be suitable for younger readers.***

It was still dark outside, the breeze cold and crisp. The eastern horizon was a slightly more violet hue than the rest of the inky sky, indicating that the sun would be up within the hour.

The large windows at the stern of the ship lined the interior of Captain Jonas's luxury cabin, giving Cordelia a view of the northern horizon where she could watch the right side of the windows start their transition into the sunrise. She sat on the furlined mattress, unable to sleep. Jonas, of course, was snoring like a pig. He always had, and Cordelia had learned to drown it out. She was unable to shake an uneasy feeling, and sleep only ever came when she felt secure. It always had been like that, which was probably why she'd never grown out of sleeping in her older brother's bed. It was big enough. Even with her arm outstretched she could barely graze his back from where the mattress dipped from years of sleeping in the same spot. It was comfortable, safe, and most importantly, it was efficient.

 _Sure,_ she thought, _That's what you tell yourself to keep from feeling like a big baby._

Cordelia sighed and threw the linens off herself. On nights, or mornings, like this, the best remedy she found was to take a stroll through the ship and make sure all was well.

She walked barefoot initially, the wooden shiplap of the deck damp with the night's sea spray made her slip slightly though, so she grabbed the closest shoes to the door: a sturdy pair of boots. Her limp didn't allow for much change in gait, and she'd end up with a cracked head if she tried walking down the slippery stairs barefoot like that. She descended to the lowest level of the ship. As she went down each flight the ambient light faded so she grabbed a lantern on the way. Once she reached the base level, just empty space with a few scurrying rats, she climbed the stairs a flight at a time, circling the floors and hallways before moving on. She tried her hardest on the guest hallways to walk carefully, but the unlaced boots clunked on the floor with every step, so she eventually shifted her tactic to shuffling the boots down the hallways as fast as she could. No women emerged from their rooms, so it must've worked.

She didn't care to be so careful on the crewmember's quarters. Some had cots, some had hammocks, but they were all used to the sounds of boots and busywork. They slept hard, only emerging to the sounds of battle, shift change, or the dinner bell. Not one even twitched as Cordelia inspected the rooms.

As she expected, she neared the top and everything was in order, which put her mind at ease.

When she approached the kitchens, and the location of the new medical bay, Cordelia felt a familiar tug on her conscience. She tip-toed in the clunky boots to the medical bay, where she found several sleeping souls. A handful of her men were staying there, recovering from severe lacerations and gunshots. She shook her head. If only they hadn't been taken by surprise. If only they hadn't been egotistical when boarding the Jewel, then maybe they would've seen the fight coming and Cordelia could've fought with her men. She could've prevented this much carnage.

In the corner of the room, two dark-haired beauties were sleeping. Brett was bandaged tightly around her waist and looked pale and gaunt. Stella, whose hand was resting on Brett's chest, was hunched over the cot sleeping deeply from exhaustion.

Martisha had agreed to help, thank goodness, but Cordelia still worried that it may not be enough.

"You just have to hold on 'til morning, little starling," Cordelia whispered to Brett, repeating the words her lost mother always said to her.

A small cough emerged from Brett's lips. Not enough to stir Stella, but enough to open her eyes. They fell on Cordelia's form.

"Brett-"

Brett sucked in a pained breath. "Ma'am, what are you doing here?"

"I, uhm. I guess I wanted to pay you a visit."

Brett gave a soft smile that pulled at her cracked lips. "Tell me a story then. I love stories."

Cordelia looked up to see if Stella had woken up, but her breathing was rhythmic and smooth. She was as far under Morpheus's hold as one could be. Brett watched Cordelia settle in next to her.

"I was only four when my dad took Jonas with him," Cordelia started. She was no good at storytelling, but who was she to deny this woman her request? She began with the only story she wholly knew. "He said that he was old enough to earn a wage. Fourteen was old enough to put his life on the line in our drunken father's eyes. The ship went down. Nobody knew how back home. Smallpox, lack of rations, pirates, or a storm. It didn't matter because they were dead and they weren't coming back." Cordelia drew a shaky breath, her mind transported back to the moment she saw her mother sobbing at the door, told the news by the Marines. "She tried to find work anywhere she could, but it wasn't enough. Not to support us both. So many friends told her to send me away, to find me a sponsor to live with, but she couldn't lose me. To be truthful, I wouldn't have gone. I would've held onto her so tight that it wouldn't have been worth the trouble. She found other means of supporting us. First, it was out of our home, but once we lost that she found a madame. I wasn't the only child either. We kids had our own room, atop the stairs and to the left. It stunk of mince pie in the evenings, but that's when we had to stay quiet. 'Don't bother the guests, or you'll be sorry,' the madame had told us. In the mornings, our moms came in one by one to collect us. It was a simple routine. Most days I was bored out of my mind, but years went by like that. It became home. The young boys had to leave and find work early, usually on the docks helping unload cargo. We got to be kids for a little longer, luckily, but I remember every girl that outgrew the kids' room. The fear when they realized that they were the oldest. That their time was coming.

"I think I was eleven when my mom got sick. She tried to hide it with powder but the sores festered deeply. Her yellowed eyes showed how tired she'd become. I was the oldest in the room, then. That scared me enough, so I planned to take my mother with me. We would've stowed away on a ship and ran away to the new world. I'd even packed a small bag with my food for a whole week, taking only enough bites to stave off the hunger pains. I left the room in the evening like we were told we shouldn't. I figured everyone would be so busy they wouldn't notice me, and I could sweep my mother away from that awful den.

"But, the fates were saving my luck for another day. The madame found me too easily. As she marched me back up the stairs, an old man called out to her. It happened so fast that I can't remember if he grabbed me from her arms or if she pushed me into his." Cordelia's heart was racing. Remembering that night was difficult, and she usually couldn't recall it unless she was trying hard.

"I was old enough for them. I don't think I had even had my first bleed at the time. It didn't matter because my mother didn't live to that day. She passed before the next winter, and I sobbed for a week straight. They didn't even let me see her body. The madame just told me that she was gone, and then sent me back to work that same night- the old hag." Cordelia took a calming breath. "I fell pregnant. At thirteen years old. My monthly time hadn't come, and the madame noticed. She told me what was happening. I knew what that meant for me though. I'd seen the younger kids grow up. Babies coming quickly from working mothers and growing up feral in the kids' room. I didn't have many customers, only a small rotation of men who would take me, but they came and went with the ships. Months without them meant that the madame had picked a man she thought was the father.

"I did know that some girls were lucky. If they were with child some men would take them into their household if they were wealthy enough. I thought this was my way out, that the father of this baby would take us in and keep me safe. When the madame invited this man for tea with me present, my heart leaped with joy as he was one of my wealthier clients. Old and hairy, but very wealthy. 'Destroy the child,' he had told her. 'I cannot let this become public. I will deny ever laying with that girl.'"

Cordelia wrung her hand in knots as she regaled her whispered story to Brett. She was so engrossed in her own memories that she hadn't noticed the soft footsteps on the stairs.

"The madame was a businesswoman, and this man was a well-paying client. The transaction was simple. He paid for my affliction to be cured, and they did not care if I survived the process. I did not know at the time I could die. All I cared about was if I could keep the baby growing inside of me. The second time I planned my escape I was wiser, leaving before the sun came up when the madame and the clients would be asleep. I did not pack a bag in my haste either. As fast as I could run, I went to the docks and found the first ship going to the new world and hid in the cargo. Before I realized the gravity of my actions, I had set sail. My baby and I would be safe. I lasted a couple of days at most but needed water. Badly. I snuck out from my safely stored box and tried to avoid any sailors. I did decently well until the cook saw me practically swimming in the water barrels. He clapped his hand over my mouth and dragged me to the captain. It wasn't bad enough that I was a girl on board, but I happened to be cursed with red hair. Many sailors begged that I be stripped and thrown overboard. The captain took pity on me. Unless misfortune plagued his ship, I would be safe. When my belly started to grow they told me I may even bring good luck in the form of a 'son of a gun'- a male baby born onboard. I never did ask what would've happened if my baby was a girl though. For months, I grew close with the crew. I wasn't touched, not even the threat of it. It was heavenly. The captain taught me what he could. I hadn't had a father in years, and it felt nice to pretend he was mine.

"It was naive to think that it could last forever. Pirates ruled the Caribbean waters and ours wasn't the first ship to be boarded. They snuck on at night, invading quietly and slaughtering the men as they slept. They weren't interested in hostages. I awoke to the smell of rum on a man's breath as he climbed into my cot. I screamed and pushed, but he was much bigger than me and held me down. I remember sucking in a deep breath as his weight was lifted off of me. The captain had pulled him from my bed and ran him through with his sword. He ran at me, sweeping me into his arms and whispering that I needed to hide, and fast. He didn't get far though as a raider turned a corner and knocked him to the ground, sending me flying from his arms. The scoundrel ran the closest thing I had to a father clean through with his dirty cutlass, not even giving me a moment to scream. I don't remember what clicked or how I knew what to do, but I picked up my captain's sword on the deck. I ran at the pirate, time going so slow, with my sword pointed squarely at him. As he turned to take care of me, I was already upon him. I was half his size and ran the point straight up through his gut. The resistance of the flesh took me by surprise, giving way with a _pop_. I swear I could feel the man's heartbeat reverberate through the metal that passed through it until it didn't any longer. His blood poured over my hands and he fell to the floor, taking my weapon with him. I remember how hard it was to catch my breath like my lungs wanted to leap from my chest. I scrambled quickly up the stairs away from the mess and crept along the railings to a lifeboat on the port bow. I quietly climbed in and slowly let the ropes drop me to the water below and floated away from the scene under the cover of night. Not one man had seen me go.

"The next morning I awoke in a pool of blood. I was sure it had been from the man I had killed until it continued to flow from under my skirt. Waves of rippling pain tore through my belly, and I screamed out into the abyss, my voice undoubtedly carried for miles. A day and a half of agonizing pain with no water or food had gone by. I thought I was dying, but it turns out my baby was. Finally, the pain subsided, my voice was hoarse from screaming, and a lifeless form laid at my feet. A tiny baby, barely the weight of a mug of ale laid still on the floor of the lifeboat. It was too pale and too small. It didn't matter though, because I picked him up and clutched him as tightly to my chest as I could manage without hurting his little body. I hugged him so tight and for so long, as if I could will the life back into him. I didn't even notice after hours of sitting there with him, that a ship had spotted me.

"They dropped anchor not too far from where I floated and rowed out to me. I still sat there, frozen in time with my son waiting for death to take us both, only for it to leave me alone and alive. I didn't even struggle as they pulled me into their rowboat. I refused to let go of my baby. I looked up long enough to know that these men were pirates too, but that no longer scared me. I was numb. They pulled me to the top of this ship, much larger than any ship my young self had ever seen. There were whispers and gossip as I reached the main deck. 'How'd you get here?' one particularly booming voice shouted at me. A tall muscular tattooed man commanded the deck and looked down at me with such disgust as he realized what I held in my arms. I refused to reply, looking back down at my child until he stepped forward and grabbed me by the chin. Instincts kicked in and I snapped my jaws onto his hand and tasted blood. The commotion and his yelp of pain must've stirred something in the captain's quarters because the crowd of pirates parted to reveal a dark plainly dressed young man. None other than our own Captain Jonas. I didn't realize that at the time, stuck in my own thoughts still. 'What is your name, child?' he asked me, and I replied, 'Cordelia Elizabeth Moss.' Suddenly, he was at my face, gripping my shoulders so tightly that I thought they'd pop out of their sockets. He toted me into his quarters and threw me on the floor, where I barely caught myself. He asked me if I was lying to him, and I denied it. 'Where are you from then, Cordelia Elizabeth Moss?' To which, I replied 'Bristol, sir.' Silence followed, and at first, I thought I was hallucinating from the heat of the day, but the captain cried. He cried so quietly as he came and sat at my feet, 'Cordelia,' he said, 'I don't know if you can remember me, but my name is Jonas Mitchell Moss. I do believe you are my sister.'" Cordelia broke from her story and smiled, looking down to find Brett asleep. Her smile was soft and comfortable and her breath rose and fell rhythmically. "I don't remember how long we sat there," Cordelia continued, "But I remember him taking my son and putting him gently on a silk downy pillow on his desk, before cleaning me up and giving me water and food. I fell asleep in my brother's arms, finally safe from the world."

Cordelia brushed the hair from Brett's forehead before standing to go. She turned to go up the stairs before hearing hurried steps running from her. "Who's there?"

Zylphia and Olimpia emerged from a corner.

"What are you two doing here this early?"

"Cook says we have to peel the potatoes before sunrise. We didn't want to interrupt."

Cordelia's mouth pressed in a hard line, before wordlessly turning to back up the stairs. The two ladies ducked into the kitchens to do their chores.

When she got back into the room, Jonas had shifted. The covers had fallen off of him and he was curled up tightly. Cordelia kicked off her boots and climbed back into the bed. She moved past the divet her body made in the mattress and put her face against Jonas's nightshirt. She brought her knees to her chest and pulled the covers over both of them. Only a moment passed before Cordelia had fallen back asleep, safely by her brother.

* * *

"Did I say you could touch that?" Florence sneered at Joyce and Adrian. She'd shifted their captivity from iron bars to iron shackles. They were free to roam the deck but were limited in mobility. Even if they wanted to swim for it, they'd drown with this much iron weighing them down. Joyce was fiddling with the compass on Florence's desk, ignoring Florence's vitriol.

"Do you _want_ to lose a finger?"

Joyce rolled her eyes and stood up, meandering back to her fiancé.

Daemon appeared from the woodwork of Florence's new ship. He was toying with a wooden flute, before shrugging and tossing it at Florence. "Here you go. Got you a present."

"What is it?"

"A thingy," Daemon smirked. "For things."

Florence snorted in anger, before throwing it back at him. "Musical instruments are not going to help me!"

"Hey!" Daemon said, letting the flute hit him without flinching, "I worked to get that for you! It summons albatrosses!"

"How does that help!?"

"Well," Daemon pursed his lips, "Well frankly, I don't know but you could show a little more appreciation."

Joyce walked over to the instrument and picked it up. " _Did I say you could touch that?"_ Joyce threw the flute back at Florence with a _hmph_ before returning to her seat. "Daemon, you better actually have help for me. You said that we were going to kill Jonas and rule the seas."

"Actually," Daemon said holding up a pointed finger, "I said we were going to overthrow Jonas. There is a difference."

"Hardly."

"Look, you're worrying too much about the details. Let me work those out, you just come up with the big picture plan. I'll make it happen."

Florence grumbled and shifted through island descriptions, charter manifests, and cargo lists. "Well, I need a crew for starters. These two don't listen and you only change the direction of the wind when you're here, and when you're not you make it go in circles."

"Do I?"

"Daemon," Florence said through gritted teeth.

He laughed at her irritation. "Well, it's a good thing I know a lovely little holiday spot this time of year where there are plenty of available jacks."

"Where?"

Daemon only gave a strangely gleeful laugh before vanishing. The wind suddenly changed directions, likely on his whim, and the ship lurched to the side. It sent Adrian and Joyce flying off the bench in unison while Florence gripped her desk tightly with one hand, and her hat with the other, clenching her teeth in irritation.

* * *

 **I hope everyone enjoyed this. I wanted to do Cordelia's backstory for a long time, and this felt like the moment I was ready to give it to y'all. The next chapter is already half-written, and we will be going to the River of Whispers next! I hope you all are excited because I really am!**

 **Please remember to give feedback and review/comment in discord or FF.**

 **Thanks everybody for reading!**


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